


Somewhere between the sea and the sky.

by EchoPaulens



Series: SBSS [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: ATEEZ (Band) Are Pirates, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Fantasy, I'll keep updating the tags, Joong is a bit of an asshole at first but i promise it will get better, M/M, Murder, Pirates, Say my name era looks, Smut scenes will be censored, Swearing, This will be a long series so hold my beer and enjoy your stay, Violence, be gay do crimes, criminals, like a lot of swearing, like a lot of them, more groups and idols will appear, nsfw jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:55:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 83,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoPaulens/pseuds/EchoPaulens
Summary: The Aurora's pirate crew has managed to carve out a fearsome fame, but fate has tough plans for them.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: SBSS [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797166
Comments: 99
Kudos: 277





	1. Chapter 1

That night the flames invaded the city of Ethia, making their way to the royal palace. The rulers tried to hide in their great homes in the capital while the town was engulfed in panic. However, there was no battle in the streets.

What had happened there?

Hours before everything was quiet, as usual, but then a large figure appeared on the horizon beyond the port. Not many noticed it until it was closer and a sound rumbled in place. A laugh, laughter that revealed the identity of the approaching ship. That was the laugh of the Aurora's captain, a voice that reached everyone in that port. 

The Aurora, a strong, fast ship with black sails; a well known pirate ship. The fame of that crew preceded them, as they had accomplished terrifying feats despite being only three men in the crew. The stories were not few about those pirates, but the best known of its members was undoubtedly the captain: It was said of him that he was a man of ruthless anger, capable of terrorizing any beast with just his gaze. The only thing about him better known than his terrifying fame was his bond with his ship. His soul was said to be connected to Aurora's, that neither of them could be sunk while the other was still there, a captain tied to his ship to death.

Although, despite all the stories, what he was like physically was not clear to anyone. The crew did not usually expose themselves without reason, so their appearance had no more definition than the inventions of the sailors.

However, there they were. The laughter of the captain was enough to terrorize those in the port of the capital, and the curiosity to know what the crew of the Aurora looked like wasn't stronger than fear. It wasn't long until the news reached the town and, moments later, the palace. The moment when two large buildings, each on one side of the city, caught fire in unison, they all knew that those pirates had not docked there by chance.

This was how it all started, a quiet day that had been destroyed in a moment by pirates. It wasn’t a novelty that these sailors were not exactly friends of the nobility, but one of the palace nobles was particularly upset.

It was a young man with brown hair. This one was not corpulent nor excessively large, the elegant clothes did not reveal much of his physique except for his face. It was striking a birthmark next to one of his eyes and the sharp look that he maintained despite the situation of panic. His name was Yeosang, although the people knew him as the Night Prince.

"You don't seem to have seen pirates before."

He pronounced with some indignation, being heard only by the servants who accompanied him. These had been ordered to guide the prince to his chambers, shut himself in, and serve him until the crisis passed. He was the only one who stayed calm, as if he didn’t fear pirates.

"This is the Aurora my lord... They are not just pirates."

"No pirate has ever entered the palace before, why would they be able to do it?"

He received no response, instead was pushed to finally enter his room. This one was big and opulent, of course, so there was going to be no problem with three people hanging out there until everything calmed down. One of those servants made sure to lock all the locks on the door and put some furniture in front of it, just in case, while the other closed all the windows in the room.

"No one can enter, you can calm down." Said the prince as he sat down on his bed.

"And no one will be able to leave either."

"You're right, it will take us a long time to open when... everything's over..."

The prince's voice was losing strength when he realized that the voice he replied to was not from any of his servants, who were looking at him totally terrified. Where had the voice come from? He couldn’t discover it, when he started to look around him a deafening noise invaded the room. And then another.

Shots.

Yeosang saw his two companions collapse without being able to react, he was frozen at the idea that he was next. However, there was no third shot. Instead, footsteps sounded behind him, coming closer. He wasn't able to turn around, instead he was thinking where the pirate might have been hiding. There was no place for a large and strong man among his furniture, but he understood very quickly what had happened when the pirate came to show himself in front of him.

"Your Highness."

He knelt in front of Yeosang, bowing to him. It was a boy with light brown hair, which was longer on the back making what was known as a mullet. His clothes were clearly those of a pirate, but he was smaller and younger than the prince expected. When the stranger looked up and extended his hand, he could see those sharp eyes adorned with black makeup and a smile that produced no tranquility. Was it one of the crew of the Aurora? 

Those fearsome men had let a shorty aboard?

Of course he didn't take that hand, didn't even know what to say to the criminal. The pirate spoke again when he saw that the other was not responding, still kneeling.

"I have come to offer you a ride in good company. How about you agree willingly and we avoid a long and boring discussion?"

The fact that the pirate was speaking to him with that respect after killing his two companions only made Yeosang more nervous. However, he managed to respond.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, you don't."

Yeosang took a moment to breathe, trying to stand firm despite the situation and took the stranger's hand after getting up from his bed. The other one, pleased, also stood up and turned the prince to tie his hands behind his back with a short rope that he carried with him.

"Should I trust you won't scream?"

"Who would help me if I do?"

That answer was not something the pirate expected, so he simply gagged the other with a cloth to avoid risks. Finally he guided him to one of the windows, which he opened trying to make as little noise as possible. He peeked in discreetly and looking down for a second, motioning for Yeosang to come down through the window. He couldn't speak, but it was easy to see in the nobleman's eyes that he was not amused. They were several floors above the ground, had he made such a show just to kill him there? Did he want it to look like a suicide? No, the pirate would not have tied him then.

He understood the other's intention when he looked down and saw what looked like a cart with bags of goods. Next to the car was someone, he looked like a drunk man, lying on the ground and his face completely covered with a hat. An unconscious alcoholic was not going to attract attention if he was calm during a pirate attack, of course, the perfect disguise for a pirate waiting for his partner. Finally Yeosang, knowing that he had no other choice, jumped out the window. He could barely react before the other did too, landing both on top of those bags. What kind of goods did those bags carry? The prince had not noticed anything breaking under him. Were they just padded bags for that occasion? He turned his gaze to the man he had seen from the window, confirming his theory.

He took off his hat and an old coat he was wearing, offering them to his partner. While he dressed Yeosang in those garments so that he did not attract attention among the people, the prince could see that second pirate well. He was also younger than expected, with golden skin and silver hair. It caught his attention that, although they were clearly trying to be discreet, his clothes were still quite peculiar. Tight pants, pure black, and a neater shirt than expected from someone who must have pretended to be a drunk. 

"Is it him?" The silver-haired one asked.

"Of course it's him. Why should I be wrong about the fucking prince?"

At the shortest one response, the other simply raised his hands a little before starting to walk. They guided the prince through the most discreet streets to the port, of course. When they started to get closer, Yeosang was able to know exactly which ship they were taking him to. The Aurora loomed before him, imposing and elegant, with black sails and that pirate emblem in plain sight.

And, of course, he also began to notice blood around him. The blood was surely from the guards who had been ordered to kill the pirates, though the stains were more discreet than the prince expected. Had they disobeyed orders? He also couldn't see the bodies, so he didn't know how many had failed in that confrontation.

... Wait.

The stories said that only three men were sailing the Aurora and he was with (as he assumed) the two youngest crew members. The captain protected the ship on his own, but why would a man with such a fearful reputation be so clean with his victims?

"Welcome to my ship, Night Prince." The one with the light brown hair said.

That managed to dislodge Yeosang. ‘My ship’. 

No, it wasn't possible that the shorty was...

"Captain!"

That scream sounded from inside the boat, someone leaned out and prepared the entrance for the three newcomers. Captain. The boy was the dreaded captain of the Aurora, the one who had held out his hand moments before. He had been alone with him, the ideas of what the pirate could have done to him in other circumstances managed to paralyze Yeosang almost completely. If it weren't for the pushes of the silver-haired one, he would not have been able to move into the ship. Once there, the same man who was pushing him tied him up well, making sure he couldn't escape, and left him lying on the ground while the captain made sure that no one was stalking from the port.

"Move your ass, I don't want to risk getting rats on the ship."

And with those words of the smallest, the boat began to move. They were only three pirates, as the stories said, but their ability was more than enough to maneuver a ship like the Aurora. Yeosang ended up lying in a corner, removed from the action, assuming that they would listen to him once they were far from the city. From there he could see well the pirate who was still unknown to him.. He was taller than the other two, with light blond hair that didn't go unnoticed, dressed in completely black and tight clothing. He seemed considerably more elegant than his companions, but not much older in age.

The fearsome crew of the Aurora were three young men of an age similar to the prince himself, what did that mean? Where did they get such fearsome fame at their young age? He had plenty of time to ask himself questions until someone finally approached him. It was that last one, the blond one. To the nobleman's surprise, he waved a little before touching him. Then he removed the cloth that kept him quiet.

"How's the trip going, prince?"

"Why do you keep talking like you care that I'm a prince?"

"We care." The blonde clarified, loosening the prince's ties. "If we didn't care, you wouldn't be here."

After releasing Yeosang's legs, the blonde helped him to his feet and began pulling the nobleman to follow him. He was being less gross than the noble expected, even less than his own companion previously. His gaze might even seem kind, but Yeosang was unwilling to be fooled by any attractive pirate.

"You are going to ask for a rescue, very original."

"Don't see it as such." Added the blond. "It's more like an exchange of interests."

"I'm afraid it won't work."

"Someone’s always saying it won't work out for us." Said the taller one, still pulling the other. "But until now, nobody has guessed right."


	2. Chapter 2

The great prince of Ethia, the Night Prince.

Yeosang took hours locked in the cellar of the pirate ship Aurora, tied to a pole. To be honest he hadn't even tried to escape, what good would it do him? Was he just going to escape to run into three dangerous pirates on a ship he couldn't leave? No, it was much better for him to stay still and shut up.

Although he had some leeway, the ties were taking their toll on his body. At least the movement of the boat had become milder moments before so the dizziness was giving him a break. Yeosang was about to fall asleep when it was less than an hour until dawn, but his intention was frustrated when someone entered the cellar.

"We’ll soon see how much you are worth, prince."

It was the blonde pirate, he seemed to be the only one who deigned to go down to see him. Maybe he was forced to do it.

"I already told you, it will be useless." The noble replied, trying to sleep again.

However the blonde was curious, as it was something that the brown-haired had repeated several times. He didn't seem to say it out of pride, rather he was resigned. He ended up sitting next to the prince, once again preventing him from sleeping.

"Why are you so sure about it?"

"..." Yeosang snorted, sitting up once more to continue the conversation. “You said you want to see how much I am worth. The problem is that I'm not worth anything, you've even done them a favor. ”

"What are you talking about…?" The blonde was not amused by the idea, as expected.

"Oh, you don't know why they call me the Night Prince." The nobleman laughed a little after saying that, looking at a random point of that cellar to avoid seeing the frustration in the other. "Well, it's actually normal for you not to know."

"Explain yourself." The blonde's tone suddenly became menacing. "If you're worth nothing, we have no reason to keep you alive. This strategy of yours is not very good.”

But he received no response. The other boy just closed his eyes, ready to enjoy a short sleep at least. Was he just going to ignore the fearsome pirate who was holding him prisoner? He didn't have too much to lose, actually. Seeing the prisoner's attitude, the blonde stood up suddenly, frustrated. He started walking from one side to the other of the cellar, waiting for an answer that didn’t seem to arrive.

"Explain yourself!" He repeated raising his voice.

"I don't like to tell my life to people I don't know." Yeosang sounded so much calmer than when it all started, getting upset wasn't going to help him. He had no escape route, at least he was going to annoy those he knew would be his killers. "I don't even know your name, how rude."

"... I liked you better when you were panicking." The pirate raised his hand to his face, taking a moment to breathe deeply. "Seonghwa. Lieutenant Seonghwa to you.”

"Lieutenant Seonghwa." He repeated, as if making fun of him.

"Are you going to explain yourself or not?"

"I'd rather see the captain's face when I do."

Then the blonde did finally get tired of the other's attitude, ending up kicking him in the side with force. It made the prince's body hit the surprisingly clean floor. The blonde crouched down beside him and grabbed his hair, lifting him up a little to force him to look him in the eye.

"You are in no condition to disturb the captain." His tone was kind again, though it was a false kindness filled with poison. "You're going to have to settle for me, honey."

That calmed the prince's character a little, boredom had made him forget that death was not the worst that these pirates could do to him. He could see in the other's gaze that the other was not going to change his mind, so he ended up speaking.

"My family got into issues that they shouldn't have."

"Like all nobles, that doesn't explain anything to me."

"Do you believe in fairies?" Yeosang asked, in a completely serious tone.

"Every pirate does." Then Seonghwa released the grip, letting the other take a more comfortable position. "If anyone hasn’t encountered magical beasts on their trips, they’re not worthy of being called a pirate."

"It turned out that my family did not." The prince ended up sitting down once more. "Until they killed some."

"Oh."

If the blonde knew anything it was that fairies were not what they appeared. Many saw them as small and kind beings, nothing further from reality. These could be as big as a human and their malice could be as strong as that of the cruellest of kings.

"They ignored their warnings and my father was cursed by them." He snorted then. "But I was the one who took it."

"And you cannot undo the curse because the culprit is feeding the fishes."

"I see you understand." Yeosang looked at his own hands for a moment, confirming that the sun had not yet risen. "The curse affects me during the day, so they only let me show myself at night."

Given this the pirate stood up, taking a few steps towards the exit of the cellar. If the prince didn’t lie and the royal family wanted to get rid of him, all they had done would have been in vain. He didn't want to think about how the captain would react when he found out.

"Hongjoong will not be amused ..." He muttered to himself, thinking of how he could communicate it to him.

"Hongjoong." Yeosang repeated. "Is that the captain's name? How did he end there?”

"You are not in a position to ask about us."

After that answer, the blonde left that place ready to go to his superior. Their attack on Ethia could had been for nothing, all this could have exposed them without receiving profits, it was going to be a real problem if that were so. 

What a mistake.

He approached the captain, who turned out to be sitting quietly on deck with the silver-haired. They had docked on a discreet island far from the capital, waiting for the courier to do their job, so they were both killing time with a card game. The light brown haired one seemed to be winning, so Seonghwa sat next to them instead of interrupting the game.

"If you're here it's because you have something to say." Hongjoong said without taking his eyes off his cards. "Good news, I hope."

"Bad news, actually." The blonde replied.

Then the other two looked away from the cards to look at Seonghwa, waiting for him to report what happened.

"If he's telling the truth, they won't give us anything for him." He spoke in a lower tone than expected, trying not to upset the other too much. "This will lead nowhere."

"It has to be a joke." That was the captain's automatic response, who dropped the cards and stood up. "What do you mean they won't give anything? He is the fucking prince.”

"A cursed prince who cannot show himself to the people. For the nobles it’s like having nothing.” The blonde raised a hand to his face, frustrated. "Or worse, a burden."

"Don't fuck with me." Hongjoong started pacing back and forth, becoming more upset with each step he took. "Who the hell had the idea?"

But despite asking, he knew the answer well, both his gaze and Seonghwa's went to the silver-haired boy. He was trying to see Hongjoong's cards during the distraction, but stopped short when he was pointed out that way.

"Wooyoung." The captain said in a firm tone. "Did you have the slightest idea about the curse?"

"Why would I know that?!" He screamed as if he didn't control his own tone of voice. “Also, he could be lying! Maybe he's trying to trick us!”

"Telling us that he has no value ... If he is lying he wants us… to kill him." Seonghwa added, aware that lying to them with this did him no good.

There were a few seconds of silence as they decided what to say, some for having many options and others for having none. Finally something broke the moment and made Wooyoung suddenly get up and look towards the water next to them. The other two also did it later, realizing what was happening. Ethia's men had arrived and they were not few, as expected. Seonghwa looked at the captain for a moment and, after seeing the other nod, went straight for Yeosang. They were about to find out if the young man was telling the truth.

Of course the other two were prepared for a possible attack, which would be unavoidable, but the royal ship made no move against them. Instead they docked alongside the Aurora as the negotiation proposed, it seemed that their plans weren’t going so bad after all.

They probably intended to kill them once they got their prince back, but that was a problem they would solve when they had their hands full of gold. Hongjoong could see a man approaching the Aurora, backed by a pair of young men. The one who walked first, clearly the superior, was a man who surely doubled the age of the pirate captain. However, the other two were probably rookies in the army, although one of them was remarkably tall; He stood out for being even bigger than the oldest.

Finally Hongjoong went to the platform that linked the ship with the mainland, accompanied at all times by the silver-haired one. He moved as if he were going to meet an old friend, without any respect for the enemy. 

“You have arrived soon! I love punctual people. ” He said, keeping a safe distance from the three soldiers. "The White Army always complies, yes sir."

"Where's the captain?" The older man asked looking at Hongjoong.

"Uhm ... Sir. I think he is the captain. ” Added one of the young men, the tallest one.

"Thank you." Hongjoong said in a sarcastic tone looking at who had recognized him.

He was used to seeing bitter idiots and resigned young men in the White Army, but this one in particular seemed friendly, happy. Also,his black hair managed to contrast with an honest smile. A young man proud of his work, he supposed. He wanted to take note of him, but then the other’s superior spoke again.

"What a joke, so much trouble for a child."

"You're not the best at negotiating, aren’t you?" The captain snorted, discreetly signaling to Wooyoung to be careful with the older one. "Why have they sent you?"

"I am afraid there has been a mistake, I am not here to negotiate." Then he brought a hand to the sword he carried with him, unsheathing to point it at Hongjoong. "I come to avenge the prince's murder."

"Wait a minute, murder?" The silver haired one spoke, putting a hand to his waist. "The prince is alive, what the hell are you talking about?"

He was reaching for one of his weapons; Among some daggers to launch was a whip, which managed to go unnoticed if one did not pay close attention. Of course, it had not taken Hongjoong long to draw one of his pistols and aim at the enemy man's forehead.

However, the elder did not answer but the pirates understood, Yeosang was going to die there even if it was not at the hands of pirates, that was the army's plan. But one of the young soldiers, again the black-haired one, did give his answer.

"If the prince is alive we should negotiate, even if..."

"Yunho, shut your mouth." Said his superior.

He obeyed, but instead of drawing his weapon he took a couple of steps back. He was not going to raise his weapons until he was sure that the prince was dead.

"That you found them does not entitle you to disobey, prepare for combat." He ordered the black-haired one more time.

There was no room for him to respond, as the gaze of all of the White Army was attracted by Seonghwa's blond hair. He appeared carrying Yeosang with him, although the prince did not seem very happy to see his army. Seeing that the others had already drawn their weapons, the blonde also did so, drawing his sword to bring it closer to the prince's neck.

"Has the negotiation gone so badly? I cannot even leave you alone.” He said, glancing at his enemies. He was struck by that soldier who was a few steps away and without his weapons in hand, actually.

"There is no negotiation." The pirate captain clarified, laughing a little. "I don't think he dares to be the first to attack, though."

Then Hongjoong lowered the gun and approached the man in front of him, a smile on his face. Seeing that the opponent's sword was still held up, he crossed his arms.

"If they wanted to kill us they would have done so, so two things occur to me ..." He looked for a moment at the dark-haired man who had moved away, as if he expected an answer from him. "Either they are interested in keeping us alive or they are afraid."

"Afraid?" The older man laughed, nervous and perhaps pissed off. "Why would I be afraid of three kids?"

"Because you didn't know we were three kids." Seonghwa continued, aware of what his captain was implying. "Or because you're not sure how those three kids have accomplished their feats."

"Maybe we are talking to make you nervous..." Wooyoung decided to join. "Or maybe we have an ace up our sleeve and you’re the one in trouble.”

Then all eyes were focused on the superior of the Army. He tried to keep his composure but the fame of the others was not small, it was impossible that it was so easy to stop them. At that time he had numerous men targeting the pirates from his ship, but the signal to fire had not come.

"Uh ..." The voice of the black-haired boy interrupted the moment with a very calm tone. "Are you sure there are only three of you? It’s not because I doubt your ability, but my intuition guided me to you… and my intuition usually leads me to…”

As if that had been timed by Yunho's words, an outburst sounded before he finished speaking. It was powerful and close but not on the Aurora, part of the enemy ship was falling to the deepest part of the ocean at that time. The shock managed to alter the military and pirates alike. As if it was a signal that they should leave, Hongjoong took advantage of that to raise the weapon once more and shot directly at the oldest man's forehead, then looking at the black-haired man and his partner.

"If someone says the word ‘kid’ one more time I'll start blowing people down."

He turned to go back inside the Aurora, but that other soldier tried to go after him. Wooyoung reacted quickly and threw one of those daggers directly to his neck. Then the gazes went to the only one left there, Yunho, but the soldier didn't even seem to be paying attention to them. That caught the pirates' curiosity, especially when the black-haired one looked around before moving.

But not with the rest of his companions.

"It has to be him, that bastard."

He mumbled that to himself before starting to walk away, probably following his intuition once more. For a moment Hongjoong pointed the gun at him, but numerous soldiers began to make their way towards the Aurora.

"We are off, they don't deserve our time."

Those words were enough for Seonghwa to release Yeosang and raise his sword towards the group of enemies. Wooyoung did the same, starting to move that whip skillfully but without hitting the others yet, he seemed to be lavish with skill. Seeing him Seonghwa snorted and stepped forward to prevent them from reaching the captain.

Hongjoong, meanwhile, was still walking calmly with the battle going on behind him. He had no reason to believe that any of those bastards could reach him, not with Seonghwa and Wooyoung to stop them.

“Prince.”

The captain received no response from the noble, so he looked at him. Yeosang was staring at the ground, probably wondering what would become of him after what happened. No, he did not have time for a pretty boy's internal dramas.

"Prince!" He repeated, then managing to get the other's attention.

However, he saw something that was not expected.

When the other looked at him he could see the other's eyes, which were bright red. He did not speak or make many gestures, which is why Hongjoong assumed that the eyes were not the only strange thing about him. However, this was not the time to think about it.

"I need you to follow my instructions. They also want to kill you, so you better help us out. ”


	3. Chapter 3

They did it. The Aurora managed to escape the follow-up of the White Army without any of the pirates being badly injured. There were wounds, of course, but they were used to dealing with those soldiers.

The White Army not only served the nobles, it was also the main force in charge of destroying any pirate who could threaten the seas. A complicated job since numerous captains and their crews took control of the seas. It was difficult to survive in that world as a pirate when all your surroundings were enemies, but Hongjoong felt that it was the only life that could please him.

It had been a long time since he first entered the Aurora, shortly after two young men went out to the sea in search of freedom and fortune.

And once again they got away with it.

Well, not as expected.

Their flight had led them to an island that the captain knew well as they had been there numerous times. The island hosted a town called Crowhost which was discreet but efficient. Despite its proximity to the capital, it was not strange that the Aurora pirates chose it to take a break.

The ship docked in a remote and hidden area of the island, avoiding exposing itself in the main port of the island. Hongjoong took a moment to go to his cabin, thinking about what they could do next and the consequences of the huge mistake they had made. That would probably give the White Army an excuse to increase the reward for them, which meant that they not only had to worry about soldiers and other pirates but also bounty hunters.

What a mess.

After a while he chose to go out on deck, he ran into Seonghwa getting rid of the remains of blood on it. It was not normal for a lieutenant to start cleaning but the blond's hobbies saved the others from work, they did not have many people to give the heavy work.

Oh, people.

"Where's the boy?"

“Wooyoung? A moment ago he was- ”

"No stupid. The other boy, the new one. ”

"Oh." It took the blonde a moment to react, as if he had forgotten that the prince had stayed with them after the confrontation. “He must have thrown himself overboard, I suppose. He’s surely swimming to safety or… drowning. ”

Drowning.

Then he remembered.

Moments earlier Hongjoong asked the prince to follow his orders and the other agreed, probably due to the tension of the moment, but at some point he lost sight of him. It was logical that he had escaped as soon as he had the chance. 

He glanced at the deck floor looking for a clean area to sit. It wasn’t because the dirt bothered him, so that Seonghwa wouldn’t make him move once he was comfortable. Finally he found a clean corner, seeing the impeccable wood after the deaths that had occurred in it made him question the other’s mental health. Killing soldiers was a normal thing for them but that level of neatness was beyond Hongjoong's understanding. Also, how did he do it in such a short time? The blonde was certainly skillful.

He looked up at his partner, who was trying to remove stains from another area of the deck. For a moment Hongjoong fixed his gaze on the blonde who had his back to him, wondering what else he would be skilled at.

He wouldn't mind finding out.

"GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Wooyoung's screams rang out from inside the ship. "KIM HONGJOOOOOOOOOO--!"

He didn't finish saying it when he reached the deck, realizing that he had the attention of the two elders. Seeing that no one asked him what was going on, he kept talking.

"Why did you let the prince loose?! He really scared me! ” He complained.

"Wait, is he still here?" Without waiting for an answer, the captain shot up to go to the silver-haired one. "Where is he?"

“Next to the cannons. Was he waiting to give me a heart attack?”

Hongjoong pushed aside the silver-haired one to go where he indicated. Once in that area he looked around trying to find a clue of where the other might be.

He hadn't jumped overboard, good for him.

"Prince?" Asked the captain. "Do you like the smell of gunpowder?"

He took a few steps making sure the other heard him approach, wherever he was. But the other one neither showed nor gave any answer. Maybe he wasn't going to answer that name.

“Yeosang. Better?" Then Hongjoong remembered those red eyes of the other, how he saw him before starting to give orders as if he were one of his men. "The curse. Has it gotten worse? I'm not going to freak out, hah. ”

Finally the advance of the captain paid off as he could see a shadow out of the ordinary. He approached and found him there, sitting next to some barrels. He was hugging his own legs, trying to take up as little space as possible.

Hongjoong's idea was to get him out of there to decide what to do with him, but he couldn't react after seeing something strange.

The bright red eyes were not the only thing. His hands and part of his arms were completely black and the claws on them were sharpened like fine daggers. In addition two pairs of black horns formed on his head the shape of a crown.

A proper curse for a prince.

The captain was about to say something but, far from knowing how to choose his words, he turned to leave. He climbed the ladder that led to the deck, nervously walking around, aware that his two companions were staring at him. Finally he turned to look at them.

"What the hell are we going to do with him?"

"We could sell him." Wooyoung said instantly. "A monstrous prince will be successful among collectors."

"Wooyoung!" Seonghwa elbowed him, shocked. "That’s inhumane. We should just ... You know. Get rid of the body. ”

"Sure." Hongjoong added, though he might have thought of that himself.

The captain crossed his arms and closed his eyes for a moment, searching for a creative solution. It was an effective way to get rid of him, but simply killing him wasn't going to do them any good. He was tired of having no benefits.

Ideas, he needed ideas.

Oh.

One came to his mind.

It was not very original but could be useful.

"Let's see how much we can earn for him." He said at last.

"Hah!" Wooyoung exclaimed proudly, returning that slight blow to Seonghwa. "My idea has won!"

"Yeah, yeah, you are the best." Hongjoong kept talking. "But you're going to stay here watching the Aurora and the prince. Seonghwa and I will see how the town is doing today. ”

Then the energy of the silver-haired one slowed down a bit as he hated with all his heart being alone on the ship. Actually, the company of an almost unknown person he saw as merchandise only made it worse. The blonde just nodded silently, pulling away to put in place what he had been using to clean.

Once he was ready, the captain signaled him to get off the ship first. They both started to walk away from the Aurora towards Crowhost at a leisurely pace. However, there was not much conversation as Seonghwa was clearly disgusted by the idea of selling the prince as if he were an exotic monster. That was where he put the line in his moral code.

"Cheer up a bit, you're going to kill your captain out of boredom."

Right after saying that, Hongjoong went a little ahead since they were reaching one of the entrances of the town. In its streets you could see people of the most peculiar, so that blond hair did not attract as much attention. The captain was willing to clear up for a while and he was not going to let the other ruin his fun, so he was continually tempting him to get carried away.

Merchants, street performers, gambling, fighting, flirting... The town environment had the perfect amount of chaos.

Finally Hongjoong saw what he wanted, a tavern he visited every time they docked at Crowhost. The name of the place was Thunder and its appearance was modest, but its alcohol was excellent.

"This is the best place if we want answers."

"Prices." Seonghwa corrected him. "I’m still against this."

"What a shame, maybe it would matter if you were the captain"

The blonde did not answer, he just took a breath before entering that place. As much as the other liked it he couldn't bear the questionable smell, the unconscious drunks and the nonexistent cleanliness of the site. But he couldn't negotiate with the captain about that.

Once inside they sat at the first free table they saw.

"Two of the best rum you have!" Exclaimed the captain.

"One." The blonde corrected. "Only one."

Hongjoong shook his head for a moment but was finally the only one who was served that drink. He took a long drink as if that would fix any thoughts that might bother him.

“Did you bring me to drag you back to the ship? I thought we were going to test the market. ”

"It’s what we’re going to do." The captain clarified. "But it is impolite to go to a tavern without having a drink in it."

Seonghwa sighed, turning to look around for a moment. It really didn't seem like the best place to look for collectors, the other just wanted to waste some time. Maybe the blonde could take advantage of that, maybe he could make him change his mind about the prince's destiny.

"There has to be something better to do with him."

"Here you go again." Hongjoong said as if it wasn't with him.

"Do you really agree with this?"

"Uh..." He drank again before continuing to speak. "A captain who has compassion for his victims is not a good captain."

"You felt compassion for Wooyoung."

The comment from Seonghwa caused the other to put the drink down on the table and pause for a moment to think about his answer. It was difficult when the blonde was staring into his eyes.

"Wooyoung was up to you, I just did you a favor." He ended up looking to one side to avoid the gaze of the other. "And he was useful. A pretty boy like the prince wouldn't do us any good."

"Perhaps he could learn to be useful." Seonghwa saw a possibility to hold on to.

"Could you make him useful?"

"Without a doubt."

Wait a moment.

What had just happened?

The blonde leaned back to lean fully on the chair, biting his lip. It was when he saw the captain's smile that he understood what happened.

"I take your word then, it’s up to you." Hongjoong added before drinking again from that pitcher.

"I didn’t say anything about keeping him."

"But now you have."

"You knew this would happen." The blond man rubbed his eyes a little. "You brought me here to make it look like it’s my fault."

“He is less of a monster than he thinks but more than people expect. Having a monster will give us more fame. ” Then he laughed, finishing his drink and getting up to approach the bar. "And now he’s your responsibility."

Seonghwa jumped to his feet as if to reply but just before saying anything he looked down and tapped the table. Once again the other had played like a fiddle.

However, it was a consolation that the prince would no longer be sold to some filthy collector.

They left the site soon after.

"Let's get down to business..." Hongjoong said, starting to look at the merchants around him.

"And what’s the business now?" The other added, trying to figure out what his captain was searching. "We don't have prices to look for."

"Yeah, but we can't bring someone in those clothes on board."

Then the captain saw something to his liking and ran towards one of the merchants. Seonghwa stared at Hongjoong for a moment, the other's way of running when excited gave him the opposite energy to that of a dreaded pirate captain.

He was adorable.

Finally he went after him and found him negotiating with the man. He took a look at what he was buying, it was a fairly large coat, black with some white markings on the sides. He couldn't help but laugh a little while the other one finished haggling. Where had you seen a pirate captain who was concerned that his crew was well dressed?

Although he wasn’t a perfect stereotype himself.

He simply let the other do that, and once the haggling ended and the other paid for the coat, Seonghwa feigned interest in some of the items while the captain stole what he just paid. Maybe more than he had paid for.

They walked a few more laps around the place before deciding to go to their last stop.

They moved through the alleys of Crowhost with ease, moving deeper and deeper into a dirty and mysterious environment. Few ordinary people or wealthy people came to these places, so it was full of criminals of all kinds.

They moved forward making sure that all their belongings were kept in place until they reached the door of a store. Although it did not attract attention, on the old wooden door was something written that was known to every pirate.

‘Seven Seadogs’

Without hesitating for a moment Seonghwa opened the door for his captain to enter first, once they were both inside he closed it.

Seven Seadogs was the place where pirates from all over the world could get some of the most unusual merchandise, sell theirs, or get any item they might need. Its name was due to the owners of the site; seven pirates who finished their exploits and divided, each creating a store with the same name on different places. They probably made more profit with that sales network than with the booties they achieved on the high seas.

However, in Hongjoong's eyes and his second in hand the place was nothing. At that moment their vision was invaded by darkness.

A couple of seconds passed until the first light came on, a torch that gave way to three more. The four fires were lit as if by magic, showing the interior of the store to the two pirates. All kinds of items invaded the walls and shelves of the place, although nothing was excessively important. The most valuable things would surely be in another, better-guarded room. At the back of the store was a long wooden table with a chair on each side, clearly there for business.

The place was more cared for than one would expect in such a shop, which Seonghwa was grateful for after having endured the dirt from the rest of Crowhost.

Finally they noticed movement around them but when the captain turned around he saw that it wasn’t the owner of the place. This movement occurred at various points around him, produced by animals that walked along the shelves as if they did not care about the possibility of destroying the goods on them.

Cats.

Had they arrived at lunchtime? Was there no one? Hongjoong did not hesitate and approached one of the shelves ready to take a look. His attention was caught by a pendant whose symbol referred to one of the gods, it was not common for any pirate to get rid of them because they all preferred to have the gods in their favor. He reached out to pick it up but then a voice rang out in the place.

"My dear captain of the Aurora, we meet again!"

That scared him, honestly. He and the blonde looked at the voice, at that table. They didn't know when he had arrived, but there he was. The young man watched them while maintaining an unnecessarily striking pose, with one foot on the table.

He had white hair but not because of age, as he was not much older than Seonghwa. Also, it was longer on the top than on the sides, where it was practically shaved. If anything drew attention to him, especially in that posture, it was how long his legs felt. Despite the dangerous environment in which he worked, he was rather thin.

Hongjoong removed his hand from that pendant and took a few steps towards that individual.

"It hasn't been that long since we last came."

"Time goes by fast on the high seas." Finally he lowered his leg off the table. "I hope you bring something for me."

Seonghwa looked at his captain hoping that he had brought some of the things they had accomplished on their last voyages. Hongjoong took out some things and left them on that table, but it was not excessively flashy, especially jewelry and writing that he arranged when he went looking for Yeosang.

The white-haired man sat down to take a look at it, but soon looked up at them again.

"You are my favorite customers for a reason." He smiled at the captain, aware that something else had brought them to him. “You have been ambitious so far. If you don't bring fortune, you have questions.”

Hongjoong knew that the other would notice, actually. He was an individual who used to give him unexpected reactions, so the captain preferred to choose his words well.

However, he did not have time before Seonghwa spoke.

"What do you have about fairies, Bambam?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Fairies." The white-haired man repeated, as if he wanted to make sure he had heard correctly. “I have information, little else. They are not easy to catch."

"Anything will be helpful." Seonghwa replied in a calm tone. "Please."

"Hm ..." Bambam looked at the blond with remarkable curiosity since it was not normal for a pirate to be so polite. Much less for simple information. "May I ask why?"

"No." Hongjoong added at last. "Just tell us whatever you know, the reason is our business."

The truth was that the captain did not care in the least about the subject, he was not interested in the affairs of a boy they had just picked up. However, he knew that the other would not leave without listening to what the white-haired man had to say.

"I'm afraid there isn't much." Bambam eventually explained. "Only fairies know the secrets of fairies, they are difficult to locate and their traditions are most strange."

"And their magic?" Added the blonde.

"What trouble have you got into to need...?" The white-haired man was about to ask, but decided not to finish saying it when he saw the threatening gaze of the captain. "It depends on their tribe. What tribe are you looking for?”

Then there was no answer because none knew it. What tribe were they looking for? Where were the fairies who created Yeosang's torment from? They wouldn't discover much without that information, apparently. Seeing that no one answered, Bambam shrugged, redirecting his gaze to the objects that the captain had previously shown him.

"I'll have more to tell you when you find out." He said before examining the material.

"I'll keep it in mind." The blond sat down in front of the white-haired man to make sure that none of those objects disappeared, clearly frustrated at not getting any information.

Meanwhile Hongjoong looked at those shelves again as if searching for something interesting, but his attention was diverted.

Once again it was about that pendant. 

He was not very clear about the reason but he felt that it was calling him, he wanted to take it with him. Almost unconsciously he approached his hand discreetly, but an exaggerated and fake cough from the white-haired man warned him that he was beeing watched, so robbery wasn’t an option. Bambam was eccentric and unpredictable, but if he knew one thing well it was how to punish a thief.

He put both hands in the pockets of his long coat to avoid temptation, but his gaze remained fixed on that object. He was not exactly an expert in the subject of the gods, but he knew that this symbol belonged to one of the seven gods of the sea. Those were the gods that every pirate worshiped because their lives were in their hands, only a fool would disrespect the ocean.

He tried to remember whose specific symbol it was, but before he did, Bambam's voice gave him an answer.

"The Trickster."

That made Hongjoong turn to look at him, only to see that the other was still looking at the merchandise.

"I can trade you the pendant for all of this if you want."

"Do not be stupid." The captain finally approached the other two, ending by resting his hands on Seonghwa's shoulders. "Give us the money so we can leave."

Bambam just chuckled, continuing his rating. While the two pirates waited to see their earnings, something was happening on the Aurora.

Screams, steps, blows. What had happened when the other two left the ship? What was happening at that very moment?

"Don't you dare come closer again, you whore!"

The prince's screams echoed through the place, though his voice made it sound soft even despite the screams. He was on deck, his back against the door that led to the captain's cabin. In his hand was a dagger pointing at the silver-haired one.  
Wooyoung was a couple of meters away from him with the whip in hand, clearly disturbed. The other had no idea about fighting but had managed to wriggle out of his grasp and remove one of his daggers. Babysitting wasn't exactly Wooyoung’s forte, apparently.

He took a couple of tired steps toward the prince.

"What did I just tell you?!"

"Stop yelling at me!" Wooyoung sounded so much louder and more shrill than the other. "As long as you don't sit still I'm going to end up hitting you, asshole!"

Yeosang looked at the whip the other was holding. He had seen him use it against the White Army soldiers and he was not willing to go through it, he had seen blood flow with each one of those lashes. He ended up lowering the dagger a little and taking a breath as if he was going to give in to other people's requests.

Wooyoung reciprocated by taking a more relaxed position, only to see the other open that door and enter the cabin quickly. The silver-haired one tried to catch him with that whip but he reacted late, hitting the door and part of the wall with force. He even left a mark on these.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

But when Wooyoung shouted the prince was already moving a wooden wardrobe, which was close to the door. He only had to move it just enough so that the door couldn't open. He wasn’t very big, but he did not spend his free time (and he had a lot of free time) training for nothing.

He began to hear the other's knocks trying to open the door but luckily the blockage worked.

"When I get in there, you're going to...!" Exclaimed the other from outside, frustrated.

Yeosang did not reply, he was busy catching his breath. They had spent a lot of time with a stupid chase around the ship.

"Uh..." Finally the prince looked around. "Is this...?"

The captain's cabin. Oh, it was going to be a real problem when the other came back and found him there.  
The furniture was what could be expected on a ship like this; old wooden furniture worn by moisture, a large table in the center of the room, a discreet and improvised bed... but the other objects were something different from what Yeosang imagined.  
Gold, jewelry, scrolls ... No, he didn't see any of it. The room was full of coats, belts, and more accessories. Did the captain care so much about how he dressed? Had he run into a stylist pirate?

Finally the knocks stopped sounding, Wooyoung got tired of trying to open.

Then Yeosang took another breath, aware that they were going to get him out of there sooner or later, alive or dead. There seemed to be no escape route outside that door, he dug his own grave.

He ended up going to the big table to see what was on it. The first thing that caught his attention was the large map spread out on it which was full of annotations, surely from Hongjoong himself. There were several marked places, circles, crossings, routes ... There were also markers in the location of some headquarters of the White Army.

Yeosang looked around for more of such markers, small wooden nails painted on one end. He found them in a small box and started placing some in the map, it made him nervous that some important army headquarters were missing.

After all, the Army served the nobles and he had a good understanding of the organization.

But then he realized that he was giving information to his captors, so he did not continue. It would be stupid to remove the nails he had put in because the holes would show, but he ended up leaving the rest where he found them. It was then that he saw something under that box, a carefully folded and hidden paper. Of course he couldn't help but grab it.

The first thing he saw was a disastrous handwriting, he thought that someone would have written it quickly and carelessly since later someone rewrote the same thing below. The other writing was clearer and more understandable, the same as in the annotations on the map. Hongjoong's handwriting, he supposed.

Most words had been crossed out later except for two. One was the one at the bottom of the list, the name of a city not far from where they were. 'Oxpass'. It was a large city located in the center of a deep forest. There was a clear path that could be followed to reach the city, but leaving it could be fatal. Yeosang himself had once been in that city for familiar matters, although he had not been allowed to enjoy it due to his condition.

The crossed-out words were also places, so he assumed the captain was looking for something in them. However, he was unable to identify the other that had not yet been crossed out.

‘Ciarmyr.’

What the hell was Ciarmyr?

He was about to look for something else about it but then he heard thumping again. He quickly folded the paper and left it where he had found it, nervous. Someone was moving the door aggressively, even the closet holding it was shaking from it.

"If you break something you will taste my bullets, boy!" The captain's voice sounded from outside the door. "Don't make me rethink throwing you at sharks, prince!"

"I am no longer a prince!" Yeosang replied, taking up that dagger that he had stolen from Wooyoung moments before. "And don't talk like you care about killing me or not!"

"Listen..." Then it was Seonghwa who spoke. He wasn't screaming that much, so he was probably leaning on the other side of the door. "I come with an opportunity to save you, don't screw it up."

"Why would I believe what you tell me, pirate?!" Obviously the prince ... No, ex-prince, he wasn't going to trust the blond. “Just because your sword is nice and clean doesn't mean you haven't killed with it! Just because you speak well to me doesn't mean you're not going to…! ”

"Get the hell out of here, maybe I lie and we'll kill you. But if I don't lie you’re wasting an oportunity to stay alive

Then there was no reply from Yeosang as the blonde was right. He still didn't trust him, but sooner or later they were going to get in or he would need to go out.

"What chance are you giving me?" Yeosang said at last although in a too low tone. He went to the door and repeated. "What is my chance?!"

On the other side of the door, Seonghwa was glad to hear him. He was leaning against that door while Hongjoong was chasing Wooyoung, willing to punish him for his mistake. Completely ignoring the other two, the blonde finally replied.

"Your chance is at our side." He looked for a moment at his companions, at that disaster. “It is clear that you cannot return home, make the Aurora your new home. Join us."

Silence. There was a moment of silence when Seonghwa moved away from the door a bit, aware that it would not be so easy to convince the other. However, to everyone's surprise, the door opened. Yeosang firmly held that dagger, even if he didn’t know how to use it properly. The blonde couldn't stop thinking that it would be much easier for the other to use the sharp claws that he had, but surely Yeosang was not thrilled by the idea of learning to fight like a beast.

"So…?"

"You don't have to lie to me like this." The brown-haired one finally spoke. "Why would a crew like yours want someone who has spent his live locked up? To clean?"

“Please don't. I bet you haven't cleaned in your life.” The blonde's outrage at saying that was more than expected. “The deal was for me to teach you… whatever you need to learn and our captain will judge me for your shit. He already judged me for Wooyoung.”

"Whatever I need to learn." Yeosang repeated.

"... To fight. Navigate. That kind of 'whatever you need'. Cleaning if you prefer it.”

"I'm still not thrilled by the idea."

"But you don't have a better option." Hongjoong said, approaching from behind Seonghwa. "Unless you like the bottom of the sea."

Yeosang didn't say anything else but finally nodded. It was true, he had no choice. There was no place to go back, there was no one to rescue him. His only chance would be to escape when the others already believed him to be one of their own, however much it would cost him.

"So ... what is our next destination, Captain?" Yeosang said at last.

Hongjoong smiled broadly upon hearing that, clearly pleased by the other calling him Captain. He finally looked at Seonghwa, who was also waiting for the answer.

"Untie Wooyoung, we're heading to Black Hallows."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like what I've wrote so far! I'm trying my best with this fic and I read and love all your comments, sorry for not answering them, I'll try from now on.  
> This is the last chapter of the intro, hope you enjoyed the start!
> 
> Also, I post some art of this AU (and more) on my twitter _JinHit so take a look if you want!


	5. Chapter 5

Black Hallows was the next destination for the Aurora's crew. Yeosang didn’t know much about the town since the royal boats used to evade it due to its poor accessibility.

The sun had finally hidden and Yeosang regained his fully human appearance, but he hardly paid any attention to it. It was true that Seonghwa told him that he would teach him everything he needed, but at that moment he could only observe and obey. The one he was paying the most attention to was Wooyoung, as the boatswain was being the key to reaching the pirates' destination for his remarkable ability to navigate.

The reason why few boats went to Black Hallows was the sharp and unpredictable rocks that surrounded its waters as they were capable of destroying the strongest of ships. But Wooyoung's quick reactions and experience were making them cross them with ease.

The Aurora moved through these as if she had done it a thousand times, and Yeosang simply obeyed the requests of the others while trying to contain the nausea. How could the blond man teach him anything if the three pirates were so busy with the ship? It was not easy for a pirate to be in the same place for a long time without being found by the White Army, so he doubted they would stop to teach him. Maybe that was why they were crossing that barrier of sharp rocks?

Yeosang was thinking about that during one of his few moments to breathe but his bad luck took effect. The Aurora struck one of those rocks, causing the prince to be thrown to one side and fall overboard.

Well, that was what he predicted.

Just before his body was shot into the water, someone grabbed him by the clothes.

Looking up, he saw Wooyoung holding on to one of the ropes, catching him with his free hand. As if that weren't difficult, he threw Yeosang back onto the deck and went back to work. The brown-haired man noticed that his whole body was aggravated when hitting the wooden floor, he wasn’t able to get up.

"I hope this blow hasn't broken my boat or you're screwed, bastards!" Shouted the captain from the helm.

As if that didn't matter to him Wooyoung laughed, still moving between ropes from one side of the ship to the other. Yeosang couldn't help but feel a certain admiration for the ability of the silver haired one. Well, of the three of them, not only Wooyoung. Before meeting that crew, he wondered how three people alone could control a ship like the Aurora, even though it was not the most luxurious ship in the world, its size was considerable. The three pirates were completely necessary and that situation made it clear to him.

Yeosang finally found himself standing up, but it wasn't long until a sudden movement knocked him back onto the wooden floor.

His body ended up giving way, everything hurt, the dizziness was constant and he had not rested since it all started. Unable to do anything about it, the prince lost consciousness.

Silence.

When he awoke there was only silence around him, the Aurora left behind those sudden movements. Finally he opened his eyes.

He was in the crew cabin, someone had bothered to take him there. It seemed like an unexpected detail coming from a pirate crew, to be honest. He got up as best he could and looked around for someone, but there was nobody. He was alone and in pain, even if it wasn't very intense pain. He put a hand to his head to check that he still maintained his fully human form.

Either it hadn't been long or the night had completely fallen, he hoped it was the first option.

Finally he prepared to get out of there but for each step he took he felt his muscles tense. He needed a good rest but he didn't even know if he would be able to sleep with those people around him. At any moment they could kill him or sell him, as Wooyoung made sure to make it clear several times.

When he reached the deck of the ship the first thing he looked at was the sky. It was a completely clear sky, and even though the sun had gone down they had not yet reached deep night. He leaned out to starboard to see the water, it was calm and clear. They had been standing on a beach for a long time.

He ended up looking for the others but was not very successful. Did they still believe him unconscious and had they let their guard down? He wasn't going to waste time checking it out. He looked for one of the ropes that were tied on land, in a small and discreet port on the beach. Once he ran into a firm one, he did not hesitate a second and went down it, ready to escape.

He did it as fast as he could despite the pain in his body and at various points he believed he would fall, but finally he did it. When he noticed the sand at his feet he took a deep breath and started to move forward, but then something sounded behind him.

"Good, you're awake." It was Hongjoong's voice that broke the silence. "It was time for you to get up."

Yeosang whirled around instantly, disturbed.

The prince expected that the other would somehow threaten him for trying to run away, but he wasn't even looking at him. Hongjoong was facing away from him looking at the damage to the ship, most likely caused by that blow that nearly knocked Yeosang overboard. It didn't look like very serious damage, but any problem on the ship could turn fatal when sailing.

But what caught the prince's attention was not the Aurora, it was the captain. Normally he wore a long coat with him, so it was the first time that Yeosang had seen him only in the white shirt he was wearing under it. Surely the coat wasn’t very practical for working on a ship.

"Since you've decided to stare at me instead of continuing your attempt to escape ..." Hongjoong added. "I have work for you."

Yeosang decided to ignore that the other had discovered his plans and nodded despite the other not seeing him. He moved a little closer to the captain, ready to receive more specific instructions, but regretted it when he blew a powerful whistle. At that someone approached, which the prince noticed from the noises in the water. Apparently Seonghwa was checking the other side of the ship and was returning drenching wet.

Yeosang was about to comment on it but couldn't help noticing how Hongjoong was staring at the blonde. He couldn't blame him, really.

By the time Seonghwa got close enough the first thing he found was both of them looking at him without saying anything.

"I checked what you asked me, the Aurora is perfectly there." The blonde said in a somewhat confused tone. "Is something wrong ...?"

It took the captain a couple of seconds to react but finally he shook his head a little and looked back at the ship.

“I need you to go get the materials. Take the kid and get a weapon for him.” And he took one last look at the blond again. "Also, change your clothes and give him the new ones."

"New clothes..?" Yeosang finally spoke.

"You won't think about going dressed like that, will you?" Seonghwa laughed a little, starting to head towards a rope ladder to get on the boat. "You are on a pirate ship, not a palace."

Understandable. But as much as he understood that, he had no desire to get back on the ship. Besides, that port was low and the stupid ladder was necessary. He felt like his arms were going to drop before they reached the top.

Luckily they didn’t, he could follow the other to the cabin where he had awakened moments before. He kept a few steps behind at all times, a distance that widened when the blonde began to change his clothes in front of him.

No, no, no. He wasn't going to look at that. Yeosang turned to look at the wall, he didn't want to invade the privacy of the other like that.

"You'll have to get used to it, honey." Seonghwa said realizing the prince's gesture. "Here, take this."

At the last, Yeosang turned uncomfortably. Luckily the other had already changed his pants so he did not see more than he should. Also, the blonde was holding out a couple of clothes, clearly offering them to the youngest. He took them, of course.

There was a much simpler and more neglected white shirt than the one the prince was wearing, in addition to that huge black coat Hongjoong had 'bought' at his previous stop. It wasn't what Yeosang used to wear, but he liked it.

"Hurry up and change your clothes, come on."

Having said that, Seonghwa left there, aware that the other would not be comfortable otherwise. The blonde quickly got off the boat again and went to Hongjoong, ready to keep him company until the prince was ready.

He crouched down beside Joong and stared at the ship for a moment, but soon looked at his captain. At times like this it was when he could see his more calm self, with no one chasing him or trying to kill him. The captain's features were not what was expected of a feared pirate, much less when his sharp gaze became more relaxed. However the blonde adored them, he could stare at him for hours.

"Have you lost something in my face?"

Hongjoong's question made the blonde look back at the boat instantly.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Uncomfortable. This moment was being quite uncomfortable for someone who had just arrived, Yeosang. He had changed his clothes as quickly as possible and followed Seonghwa, only to stumble upon that unresolved sexual tension. At least he had verified moments before that it was reciprocal.

If there was one thing he knew about the pirates it was that they had no problem solving those… carnal problems, although surely that was the lies of the church to scandalize the people. 

So were they just useless?

Was there something emotional between them? A stylist pirate and a cleaning-obsessed killer who also had a romantic drama. Nice.

Finally Yeosang ended up coughing a little to make himself noticed, something that managed to surprise the other two. They hadn't noticed him arrive because they were focused on each other, something was definitely happening between them.

Maybe he could get the information out of Wooyoung at some point.

"Shall we go?" He asked at last.

Seonghwa stood up and took a deep breath before heading towards Yeosang, nodding. They had work to do.

However the captain noticed something as the others walked away. There was something on the floor next to him, right where the blond had been moments before. He took it to see it well since the sand and water did not make it easy.

It was that pendant, the one with the symbol of the Trickster.

He couldn't help but look back at the one who was walking away with Yeosang. When had the blonde stolen that? How had he done it without Bambam or himself noticing? He decided not to ask about it, simply hung it around his neck and left it inside his shirt.

But the important action wasn’t going to happen in that port with the captain, it was going to happen in Black Hallows. It didn't take long for Seonghwa and Yeosang to get to the place; It was a modest but lively town, full of kids playing and adults walking. The atmosphere was more than welcoming and no one seemed to pay attention to them, even being a prince and someone with hair as blond as the oldest.

They moved slowly through the streets, as Seonghwa was letting the other enjoy. Surely he had never been among so many people without worrying about his manners or... his horns. The brown-haired one was looking at everything around him, how he moved his arms with that huge jacket made him look incredibly adorable.

Seonghwa couldn't believe they had been about to kill him or traffic with him like he was an exotic beast.

"Honey." The blonde said, avoiding using the prince's name in case someone recognized him. "This way."

Yeosang nodded, remembering that they were there on behalf of the captain. Then he went behind the other and began to follow him, putting his hands in the pockets of that coat to avoid moving his arms too much. On one hand, he was with a fearsome murderer who had kidnapped him, but on the other hand, that murderer was being more considerate of him than most people throughout his life.

The blonde's footsteps led them to a large wooden door next to which was a sign. This made it clear to the prince that it was an armory; They were going to find a weapon for him.

Oh.

At that time his excitement deflated completely. Getting him a weapon meant he would have to fight. He would have to kill.

No, he didn't want to get there. He didn't want to have to take anyone's life, he was not a murderer.

However, the blonde entered without realizing that Yeosang was having that crisis, so the minor took him by the shirt from behind with one hand and followed him.

"Where's the most neglected and disastrous blacksmith I know?" Seonghwa asked.

Then something scared Yeosang, the sound of steel on steel. Someone dropped what he had in hand and approached them, probably the owner of the place. Finally he saw it, a corpulent form approached them making its way through the materials and different weapons that were in the place.

The prince was expecting a large and experienced man but once he was near him he could see a tired and stained boy, probably due to work.

He wasn't big in age but his body certainly was. His tank top showed his strong arms and what was kept covered by the clothes did not leave much to the imagination either. Also on one of his arms was a red ribbon tied, perhaps to clean himself during work.

Even Yeosang himself could see how he was dumbfounded by that stranger.

In addition to what the prince was focused on, the boy had dark brown hair as well as dark eyes. He looked at both individuals with remarkable calmness, ending with a sigh.

"The boss is not there, if you look for him you will have to come back later." He finally answered.

"You know that is good news for me, Jongho." Added the blonde.

The one who had been identified as Jongho held out his hand, something to which Seonghwa reciprocated by giving him his sword. The prince supposed that they used to go there, something easy to deduce from the fact that they knew each other. The blacksmith unsheathed the blonde's sword and began to check it for imperfections to repair.

Yeosang hadn't noticed until then, but Seonghwa's weapon was more fancy than any weapon he'd ever seen carry a pirate.

“It’s perfect, as always. Why are you so concerned? ” He said as he re-sheathed the weapon and returned it to its owner. "In all this time I have never seen it wrong, it is a strangely resistant sword."

"I like to have my things in good condition." The blonde cleared, picking up the weapon. "Although today I come for something else."

Then Seonghwa looked at Yeosang, which caused Jongho to do the same. The prince was very intimidated by it so he just waved. It was the blonde who kept talking.

"I need a weapon for him. Something I can teach him how to use.”

"A sword would be the most obvious."

After saying that Jongho took a few steps towards a wall in which there were numerous exposed weapons. They were clearly separated from the rest because they were what the young man had made; the owner of the place was a drunk who was losing all decency, probably the business wouldn’t last long if it were not for the presence of the youngest.

He went to take one of the swords but then someone knocked on the door. They were strong, dry knocks, something strange considering that nobody knocked on the door in that town.

Jongho instantly signaled for Seonghwa to hide. He did so, taking Yeosang with him to one of the corners of the forge. He made sure to cover himself with materials and fabrics so that visitors could not notice them. Yeosang suddenly found his body against the blonde among a pile of dirty rags, but he also couldn't say that he found it unpleasant.

"Come in!" Jongho yelled at last.

The door opened and what the young blacksmith feared appeared. A White Army soldier entered with various papers in hand.

"Sorry to bother you but we must inform everyone of what happened." Said the soldier.

"Get to the point, I have work to do."

"Sure!" The soldier seemed quite nervous. "A dreaded pirate has been seen on this island!"

That made a shiver run through Seonghwa's body. Wooyoung and the captain were in no condition to escape anyone with the damaged ship.

"What kind of pirate ...?" Jongho asked, wondering if it was the blonde who had been seen by the army.

Then that soldier handed one of the papers to the blacksmith. It was a search and capture notice with an image of the criminal in question. The drawing was neat and detailed, although there were some things that seemed to have been added later.

It was a boy with sharp features but with full lips. His hair was dark and combed back. One of the details that seemed added later was a mole on the right cheek. 

That made him wonder who remembered a criminal in such detail, but at least confirmed that it was not one of the Aurora's pirates.

"I'll keep it in mind. I'll hang the poster right here in case… someone sees him, yes. ” Jongho finished saying. "Now get out, I said I'm working."

"Of course, of course…!" The soldier bowed even with that nervousness. "Thanks for your time, say hi to your teacher!"

The young blacksmith only nodded a few times, waiting for the stranger to come out before slamming the door shut. He locked the door on it to make sure he didn't go back inside and went to where the others were hiding.

It didn't take long for Seonghwa to go out and drag Yeosang with him, probably nervous about the amount of dust from the place. The prince struggled to keep his balance after being pushed by the other, but Jongho got close enough at time to catch him and prevent him from falling.

For a moment the smith's gaze locked on Yeosang's face as if he had seen something strange, but he ended up ignoring it. For the prince, that moment where he felt the gaze of the other felt like an eternity.

Finally he offered that paper to Seonghwa.

“It is not one of yours. You can be calm.”

The blonde went to take that paper but Yeosang went ahead, looking at that drawing as if it were someone he knew.

"He..." It took him a moment to remind him. "I’ve seen him. My guards caught him once but he escaped, I don't know how.”

"Your guards." Jongho said so that the others would know that he had recognized the prince. "It seems like you’re not the only troublesome ones here."

"Ugh ..." Seonghwa spoke at last. “Let's hope he doesn't decide to bother us. Joong..."

He paused for a moment to correct himself.

"The captain doesn't like to be disturbed."


	6. Chapter 6

At a remarkable distance from the beach where the Aurora was, footprints left a clear path in the sand. Those were the steps of Wooyoung, who took the opportunity to leave as soon as they arrived on land to avoid his captain giving him too much work. It wasn’t unusual for the silver-haired one to disappear for a while when they reached some islands, since he was aware that he was essential and they wouldn’t leave him behind.

However he was coming back earlier than normal. He saw some White Army soldiers and had to alert Hongjoong before they reached Aurora.

He was approaching the port where the ship was docking at a fast pace, worried about his captain, but something crossed his path. Rather someone.  
It was a boy he couldn't recognize, with dark hair and much taller than him. He was going in the same direction as him but at a much calmer pace, so it wasn't difficult for Wooyoung to approach him from behind.

He couldn't let him reach the Aurora.

He tried not to be heard by the opponent, and finally he took one of his daggers and put it behind the stranger's back. He made sure the other noticed the edge through the long coat he wore, but without hurting him. He had a smooth sentence planned to threaten him and get him away from the beach, but what happened was very different.

The stranger didn’t expect anyone to be nearby, so he let out an unexpected and shrill scream as soon as Wooyoung did that.

To this surprise, the silver-haired one screamed too, covering his mouth at once to avoid attracting more attention. That disaster allowed the stranger to turn around to see who had pointed his weapon at him. It was then that Wooyoung was able to clearly see that individual.

It was a young man with dark eyes like his hair, with his hair slicked back. His sharp features contrasted with his lips, something Wooyoung couldn't help but notice. Although he had all the cards to be intimidating, his expression and way of looking at the other gave the opposite energy.

He was more than confused by the situation.

Wooyoung's attention was also drawn to a mole on the stranger's right cheek, though he couldn't see any more details before he spoke.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Are you blind?! I was going to threaten you but you screeched like a seagull!”

Thank the gods there was no one else to hear that, for once someone's screams competed with Wooyoung's.

"Threaten me?!" The stranger seemed more outraged than scared. "Do you want the reward?! I'm not gonna get caught so easily!”

Hold on. Reward? What was he talking about?

The silver-haired man took a moment to breathe and avoid more screaming, aware that it was not in his interest to get the army's attention.

"Exactly. That’s what I want." He said at last. To what extent could he deceive the other to get information from him? "So stop yelling or it will be worse for you."

"Hah, you can't catch me!"

Saying this, the stranger moved away from Wooyoung a bit and drew two swords from under his coat. The silver haired one did not react, the other seemed to be bluffing.

"I am the great pirate Mingi! The White Army's nightmare! The one who defied the masked spirits! The one who…!”

"Enough already." Wooyoung interrupted him.

Clearly the other was lying but if anything caught his attention it was that he mentioned the masked spirits.

Said spirits were magical beings known to reflect the repressed darkness of humans. These could come to possess people, if so they would be persecuted and eliminated by the church.

The church had the right to get rid of any suspect of being possessed, so facing these spirits wasn’t something that should be said with pride. Perhaps it was the only part of truth in the other's words.

"And did they reach you?" Wooyoung took a few calm steps towards the other. "Did the spirits reach you?"

The silver-haired one smiled as he asked the last question, his expression taking on a twisted energy that managed to push back the tallest.

"They say that when a masked spirit possesses you, you become the complete version of yourself." And finally he took that whip, making it clear to the contrary that he was about to use it. "Is your full version stronger than me?"

The next thing that rang out was a loud scream from the tallest, a shout that echoed throughout the surroundings and reached the path that Seonghwa and Yeosang were following.

They took a path away from the main to avoid possible soldiers on patrol, although it was difficult to advance through trees and rocks while carrying the materials the captain needed. For this reason they ignored the scream, they were too focused on reaching the Aurora before the White Army.

The truth was that they had spent a long time in silence focused on being faster than their enemies, but when it was not long before reaching the ship, the prince spoke.

"So... Joong?"

The blonde stopped his footsteps, turning slightly to look at the other. He did not answer as he wasn’t sure about what he should say.

"What about you two?" Yeosang asked. "I don’t wanna get where I shouldn’t but..."

"You are indeed getting where you shouldn't be."

The lieutenant's answer made it clear that he should not have asked, so the prince chose to change the subject.

"And what about my weapon? In the end he didn't give me any.”

The truth was that they had to leave quickly for what Hongjoong needed, so the rush distracted them from that first task. However the safety of the captain and the ship were more important.

Especially for Seonghwa.

"I'll find something to teach you with." Added the blonde. "We'll get a weapon for you later."

This made him angry since Jongho was the artisan he trusted the most, despite the fact that he was young he made high quality weapons. Also, they already knew him and got along with him, it was not easy to find pirate friendly blacksmiths.

He didn't quite know why Jongho trusted them despite knowing who they were, but he wasn't going to question something that played in his favor.

Seonghwa resumed his steps towards that beach deciding to ignore the other's first question. What about them? He didn't want to ask himself that, he wasn't sure. He had been with Hongjoong for too long and it was true that there were signs, especially for himself, but the other’s character had not given the blonde much chance. The pressure of being a captain, he supposed.

Finally he saw the one he was thinking about, in the distance he could see the Aurora and the captain. There was someone else, he deduced that Wooyoung had already returned from his escape.

"Whew, we are going to have to fix this quickly and leave..."

The blonde muttered that to himself. Once he was close enough, he confirmed that the other was the boatswain but he couldn't help but notice his worried face. Finally Wooyoung noticed them arrive and Hongjoong followed.

"It was about time, there is bad news!" Exclaimed the captain, approaching to help the others with those materials.

"We know, that’s why we came as quickly as possible." Yeosang replied, relieved that the other had taken some of the weight off him. "Have they found you...?"

"If they had found us, we wouldn't be so calm." Wooyoung just stared without helping in the slightest. "But don't worry, they won't discover us."

Oh no.

The silver-haired one sounded too proud to say that, which set off all of Seonghwa's alarms. If Wooyoung was proud of something it was surely a stupid plan that would not work.

"What have you done...?" He muttered.

"I have left a gift for them." The boatswain laughed a little after saying that. "They'll take what they were looking for and leave, it's that easy."

"What they were...? Have you found that guy they were looking for?” Seonghwa said that while following his captain towards the damaged area of the ship. "How lucky."

"Right? I tied him to a tandom pole on the beach, he will soon be arrested by the army."

After saying the last thing Wooyoung went to the rope ladder that allowed to get on the boat, ready to wait comfortably while the rest repaired that. He came up in a moment and looked around, wondering where he should lie down to rest after a job well done.

"Congratulations Wooyoung." He said imitating the captain's tone. "You have caught an enemy and driven the army away, you are a genius."

He laughed a little before lying down on the side of the deck, directly on the ground. However, he didn't last more than a couple of seconds with his eyes closed.

"Oh yes, a true genius." Uh, oh. That voice was not from any of his companions.

As soon as he opened his eyes and looked aside, he found what he least expected, a soldier in the White Army uniform. It was the same one that was present at the prince's rugged rescue, that tall man with black hair. What was his name...? He was sure he heard his name at some point.

"Although it is rare for someone to catch a pirate and tie him to a pole instead of asking for the reward." The soldier continued speaking as he approached Wooyoung. "Don't you think so?"

"There are disinterested people, you know?" Wooyoung stood up ready to face the other.

"Not too many nowadays. The world is unfair."

Finally the soldier unsheathed his sword and aimed at the silver haired one, but his intention to fight was instantly frustrated when said sword was caught by the whip of his adversary. A pull from the boatswain was enough to throw the sword overboard straight onto the beach. The black-haired man watched his weapon drop for a couple of seconds, after which he smiled a little and raised both hands.

It was with that gesture that Wooyoung realized that the opponent had a long black glove on one of his arms, only one.

"You talk too much, huh." The silver haired one said as he approached his opponent. "You could have killed me in my sleep. I was about to take a nap."

The taller one said nothing, aware that he had been easily disarmed. Was he giving up so easily? Wooyoung was not going to settle for that surrender, after all the other had managed to get on the Aurora without the captain knowing about it. In addition, he was someone big and adorable but his way of acting made it clear that he was not stupid and innocent.

This soldier knew more than he seemed, he was more dangerous than one might think.

"Yunho!" The boatswain finally exclaimed. "Your name was Yunho!"

"Have you really been trying to remember my name all this time...?"

But the answer to the soldier's question was a strong lash that went straight to his legs, knocking him to the deck floor with a loud thump.

"I have not given you permission to speak." Wooyoung made it clear to him. "My plan may not have been perfect, but yours hasn't turned out better either."

Yunho only gave a groan, he felt as if the area hit by the enemy whip was burning, the blow was going to leave a mark for a long time. The black-haired man's silence pleased the boatswain, who ducked down next to his enemy and grabbed his hair to force his head up.

He looked at him for a moment, the foreign features had been flooded with rage. Oh yes, he had sunk the plans of an overly excited soldier. It was one of Wooyoung's favorite hobbies.

"What motivated you to get on a pirate ship alone?" He cocked his head slightly, a rather sinister smile forming on his face. "Did you want the fame of sinking the Aurora or did you just want to die?"

"The Aurora cannot sink." The soldier replied.

The pirate did not expect that answer, but the other was right. He released that grip to stand up and look the other way from above.

It was true that there was a story that the souls of the Aurora and Hongjoong were united, but not many members of the White Army believed it. Wooyoung did not know why but several times he had seen the captain die and rise from the dead, he would not die as long as the ship was still standing, and it was reciprocal.

They had to die together.

He didn't like the other being right. He kicked him hard in the side without saying anything and looked around for any rope he could use. Normally he carried one with him in case it was necessary, but he had used it a while ago with that stupid liar.

Finally he dragged Yunho to the mast to tie him to it, the soldier did not seem to have much intention to resist.

A smart choice.

He tied him remarkably tight, the soldier had just the freedom not to run out of air. After that he went to one of the loose ropes of the Aurora and went down it to go and inform his companions.

There they were, helping the captain with a quick repair. The truth was that it was almost ready, it had only been too strong scratches.

"How are my dearest companions doing?" He asked in a calm tone.

"Busy, unlike someone." Seonghwa replied instantly. "You could have been helping."

"That would have been a problem. Who would have caught the intruder then?”

Hearing the word ‘intruder’ the captain turned to look at Wooyoung, clearly puzzled. Right after, he picked up some tools and stood up, aware that the silver-haired one would have the unexpected rat up there.

The boatswain was like a cat, he liked to show his prey for others to congratulate him on doing a good job.

"You three finish picking this up, the Aurora is ready to set sail." The captain ordered at last.

And he went towards those stairs, he wanted to see what kind of idiot had dared to get into his beloved ship. Seeing him, Hongjoong would decide if he deserved to stay alive or if he would be compassionate enough to kill him quickly.

However, he did not even start to climb when something caught his attention, someone was approaching the boat. He was coming along the discreet road that connected to the city, so the pirates immediately took out their weapons. At least the three who had weapons, Yeosang just tried to see who it was.

For once the unexpected visits were not a bad time for the prince, as it was not difficult for him to distinguish the blacksmith with whom he and Seonghwa had previously spoken.

"It's Jongho."

As soon as he said that, the other three holstered their weapons and the captain continued what he was doing. The blonde signaled to Wooyoung and Yeosang to pick up the tools and materials while he went to speak to the blacksmith.

The two instantly obeyed so Seonghwa approached Jongho to find out what he was doing there.

"Do you miss us already?" He joked.

"I don't like to leave orders unfulfilled."

As soon as the blacksmith said that, the blonde noticed what he had with him. On his back he carried a sword minimally hidden among cloth and bags. It was also protected by a discreet leather case.

"Jongho, by the gods ..." Although his words sounded like complaint it wasn’t difficult to see the blonde's smile. "Did you come all the way here just to bring us this?"

"You are my best clients, I have to take care of you." The youngest laughed a little. "The prince is going to have to defend himself, everything is easier with a good companion made of steel."

"I see..." Then Seonghwa looked at the Aurora for a moment. "Oh, the payment."

"You are also the only pirates who agree to pay me, I appreciate that."

"For you, all spent gold is worth it."

That said, the blonde began to go to the boat, ready to go in search of part of the fortune that Bambam had previously obtained for them. The blacksmith followed him, he didn't even think that those pirates could be a threat to him.

However something unexpected rang out, a shout from the captain. The four heard him perfectly from the beach, the first thing they did was look at each other without understanding what was happening.

It was not an emergency cry, it was a scream of frustration. It was easier for them to understand when they heard Hongjoong's voice again.

"WOOYOUNG, WHO THE FUCK HAVE YOU LEFT LOOSE IN MY SHIP?"

"Loose?" Asked the mentioned. "Oh no."

Wooyoung was one of the most skilled navigators, the scariest pirate with a whip in hand, and many more incredible things.

However, he was also the one who forgot to pat down the soldier he left alone on his ship.

Hongjoong had climbed up hoping to find someone beaten and tied but instead there were only broken ropes next to the mast. His first reaction was to search the different areas of the ship in case the intruder was hidden in any of them, but the only strange thing he saw was in his own cabin.

Disorder, someone had been searching through his things.

He reviewed the huge map, reviewed the list he had hidden under that box, reviewed everything that could be important to him and nothing was missing, it was then that he let out that scream that alarmed the rest of the group.

They hadn't taken anything, so he wasn't just a thief. Maybe he wanted information about them, maybe he just couldn't find what he wanted.

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE SCRUBBING THE DECK UNTIL WE FIND OUT WHAT THE FUCK HE DID." He yelled from the boat.

"It won't be necessary!" A happy voice answered on that beach, coming from the trees that surrounded the other four. "I’m not a thief, just someone curious."

Yunho.

He had escaped without being seen, clearly through the water as he was soaking wet.

Soaked and accompanied. Numerous White Army soldiers began to show themselves, they were surrounding the Aurora pirates and the blacksmith. At that Jongho took the weapon off his back and gave it to Yeosang.

"It’s a good time to start your learning." He said while looking at the prince. "Use it well, it's one of my favorites."

"Not to break the moment..." Wooyoung said breaking the moment. "But we have to go."

"And what about him?" Yeosang looked at Jongho, hugging that leather case. "They saw him collaborate with pirates."

"It was going to happen sooner or later." The blacksmith did not seem much affected.

Seonghwa said nothing as while the others spoke he had already drawn his sword to target the numerous soldiers. They couldn't let them get to the Aurora but dealing with all of them was going to be a problem. They had to go.

"Yeosang and Wooyoung, get on the ship." He said at last. "Jongho, what you do is up to you, we are leaving."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Ja ja Wooyoung kinky"  
> -My beta readers.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Hope your week's going well! From now on I'll try to post every Saturday unless class work doesn't let me. As always, any update will be on my Twitter @_JinHit !

'We are leaving.'

Those words from Seonghwa were the intention of all the Aurora pirates, but it was being more difficult than planned.

They managed to set sail, yeah, but that didn’t mean that the problem was solved. The captain along with Wooyoung and a nervous Yeosang were busy with the navigation while dealing with the soldiers who had managed to get on the ship. However, someone was missing from the deck, the blond who had struggled to keep the White Army soldiers at bay while his companions started off.

At the moment he was hanging from that rope ladder on one side of the ship, as were several enemies and the young blacksmith who had made up his mind.

Jongho did not hesitate to cling to the Aurora during that escape, but reaching the end of that rope ladder was being difficult due to the unpleasant company. Gradually he and Seonghwa managed to get rid of many of the soldiers who were trying to get on board but could not prevent some of them from achieving their goal.

Seonghwa was the first to reach the deck. His first idea was to help Jongho get to the top but that suddenly changed as soon as he saw the situation. There were more enemies than expected, the captain and Wooyoung were fighting as much as they could without neglecting the ship, Yeosang defended himself clumsily but efficiently.

"Oh, I won't allow that." The blonde said in a serious tone.

That caught the attention of several White Army soldiers who prepared to go against him. Nice, the more they paid attention to him, the less they would disturb his peers.

He raised his sword, prepared to face them.

That got the prince to get a break, as those who were trying to catch him turned their attention to the lieutenant. He couldn't help but notice the blond's expression. Normally he had a calmer expression, sometimes uncomfortable or disgusted, but at the moment he was completely serious.

And most importantly, pissed off.

The blonde had his gaze fixed on the enemies, but he was aware that they were not going to leave the captain and the boatswain so easily. Without hesitating for a moment he launched himself at the enemies in front of him, he had to finish the job quickly to help the others.

Some would think that going alone against a group of soldiers was not a very favorable thing for Seonghwa, like Yeosang, but what he saw showed him otherwise. That elegant sword of the blonde moved nimbly through the enemies, the other had full confidence in each of his movements.

One after another, the soldiers fell.

The other two crew members were managing to get rid of their rivals as well so the danger began to disappear for the prince, but his body was unable to relax when seeing how Seonghwa killed.

His expressions were intense, his steps steady and his sword accurate.

For a moment Yeosang thought that the blonde could even enjoy that, but he finally ruled out the option. It was just one more chore for him, dirt to get out of the way.

When the last of the soldiers fell, Seonghwa was standing among them, maintaining an elegant and determined bearing. He stuck his tongue out for a moment, wiping a stain of blood on his lip with it.

Hot.

That was the first thing Yeosang thought, to be honest, but he realized that he was referring to someone who had just taken numerous lives right in front of his own eyes.

Scary.

He corrected himself. However, he was not the only one who commented on the scene.

"Stop doing the tongue thing and help us already!" Wooyoung yelled.

Seonghwa's expression lost that intimidating air then, as if he realized that he had forgotten the initial purpose of it, he even kept his tongue out as if he had forgotten that it was there. Finally he nodded and prepared to do his job, although Yeosang couldn't take his eyes off the massacre.

Oh no.

A scream from the prince alerted the rest of the pirates, because he saw a hand grab the edge of the ship. More enemies? He didn't want to be the one to deal with them.

Finally the owner of that hand showed himself. Jongho had spent that time fighting the waves that nearly knocked him off the rope ladder, but he finally reached the deck. Once up he took a defensive position, with his fists in front.

Then he realized that the fight was over and snorted.

"What a welcome."

"It was better than Yeo's, don't complain." Hongjoong said from the helm, with a joking tone.

Jongho laughed falsely and then looked at the prince. He had not stopped to think about how the other ended up being part of the Aurora pirates until then. He was extremely curious.  
He took a few steps toward him, ready to calm him down a bit, but the lieutenant's voice cut him off.

"You should rest." The blonde took a calmer tone at last. "There is not much left for sunrise, from here we can take care of everything."

As if that phrase marked the end of the battle, Yeosang's legs gave way and he fell to his knees. His body was still not fully recovered and his mind was overwhelmed by what had happened; Of course, he still held the leather sheath that the blacksmith had given him on the beach.

He did not even unsheathe the weapon, a detail that Jongho did not overlook. However it was not time to question it, it was clear that Yeosang needed a break. The blacksmith did not hesitate to bend down and finally take the prince in his arms, he was not going to leave him on deck with all the remains of the battle.

"Ah...!" Yeosang made a show of complaining, though it didn't bother him that the other one lifted him up like that.

"You’ll have to guide me, stay awake until then."

After saying that Jongho directed his gaze towards the captain. He got on that ship because he had no choice, but he was not horrified by what might await him. However, he could not join a crew without the captain's approval.

Hongjoong just looked at him too and nodded.

Tap, tap, tap. Jongho's footsteps echoed in the wood as he drifted away from the others with the prince.

As soon as he knew that the other two wouldn’t hear him, the captain sighed. His gaze suddenly became more relaxed, as if he was letting out all the tension that had accumulated in that time.

The waters that crossed the Aurora began to become calmer, gradually the adrenaline faded.

"There isn't much left for sunrise."

Seonghwa's voice scared him as he did not realize that the other had approached him. The blonde was right next to him, looking at him, although he looked away as soon as Hongjoong realized it.  
The captain did not answer, he ran a hand down the other's back to bring him closer to his own body and ended up resting his head on the lieutenant's shoulder.

"You also need to rest." The blonde kept talking. "I'll take the helm, get some sleep."

Nothing. There was no answer.  
At first Seonghwa thought that the other was avoiding the subject, because he used to do it when he told him that he needed to sleep. However, he soon realized that the other had closed his eyes on his shoulder.

He had fallen asleep on his feet, with Seonghwa as his only support.

He wanted to take him to his cabin and let him sleep peacefully, but he didn't want to risk waking him up with a sudden movement.

He tried to move carefully so that the captain would not fall and he picked him up, just like Jongho to Yeosang moments before. He then signaled to Wooyoung to watch the rudder, trying not to make a noise.

“HAAAAAAAAAH? WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT GESTURE MEAN?” Wooyoung yelled in response.

If at that time Seonghwa could rip the rudder off the ground to throw it at the boatswain, he would. He held Hongjoong up a bit for the other to see, then the silver haired one did understand.

The blond went down the stairs carefully and advanced avoiding the bodies of those soldiers, giving thanks that the shout of the idiot had not awakened the captain. He was finally in front of Joong's cabin door but had no free hands to open it.

Should he try with his foot? No, he would surely fall.

He turned slightly to try with his elbow, causing Hongjoong's head to hit a wooden column on the ship.

Silence, the blonde waited in silence in case there was a reaction.

The other didn't wake up, alright. He took a deep breath and ended up moving the captain over his shoulder, then having a free hand to open that door.

Finally he entered the other's cabin, going straight to lay him on the bed. Once he laid him down he tried to take off that long coat and then threw it over him as a blanket.

He didn't know how he managed to fall asleep in those conditions, or how Wooyoung's scream (or the blow) hadn't awaked him, but he was glad he could rest.

He couldn't help but stare at the other sleeping for a moment.

"What about us...?"

Once again he repeated that question to himself, but he didn't have time to think of an answer. Finally he left that cabin, ready to guide the ship for a few hours.

It was going to be a quiet sunrise, luckily. As chaotic as Wooyoung was, he used to calm down when he was alone with Seonghwa.

Tranquility, it was definitely what the Aurora needed.

As the lieutenant predicted the hours passed calmly, dawn rose above him and the silver-haired one soon after they were alone.  
The captain was still asleep in his personal cabin, but finally something broke the calm in the room that the crew shared.

The prince had finally managed to get a few hours off, but a loud noise abruptly woke him up. Just awake he couldn't think clearly, so he was disoriented. What was that sound? He opened his eyes and what he found made him wake up suddenly.

The entire cabin was in disarray, clearly from a fight that had been going on for a while. It wasn't long before he saw Jongho on the ground, sitting on someone. Specifically, he was sitting on the chest of a stranger he had managed to disarm, a man in the White Army uniform. He must have hidden behind the incident to await his chance.

The prince couldn't help but notice for a moment Jongho's strong arms, which held the enemy with remarkable strength. He also noticed that he was still wearing that red cloth tied to one of them, hadn't he even taken it off for sleep?

"What happened…?"

"Prince!" The stranger exclaimed as he could, clearly short of breath. "I'll get you out of...!"

He didn't finish the sentence, when Yeosang stood up the enemy could see those horns that had already reappeared, followed by the black claws and those red eyes. He was speechless because of something Yeosang did not understand, unaware that it had dawned while he slept.

"You don't have to get me out of anywhere."

The prince's voice sounded confident, something that caught Jongho's attention. He had only seen him being dragged by danger, he did not know that the spoiled child had that more... intimidating side.

"They are the ones who have freed me from you." Yeosang stated.

The smith laughed at the look of disbelief on the soldier's face. However, it didn't take long for him to speak too.

"You are just one man, caught on the high seas with the three dreaded pirates of the Aurora... and us." He emphasized the latter, making it clear to the contrary that whoever had beaten him was not even the worst. "I think dying with your companions was a better option."

"Or you could have stayed on the beach." Yeosang said that with a casual tone, breaking the threatening atmosphere that Jongho was trying to create. "I mean... Those who stayed there are still alive. Even that tall one.”

"That tall one?" Jongho asked. "Oh, the one who ran away and... all of that."

“Yeah, that one.”

“Did he bring them to you and not even get on the boat? What a shameless person."

At the conversation of the two boys the soldier coughed a little, somehow offended that they deviated from the main topic.

“Oh. Sure." Jongho added. "Yeosang, help me tie him, perhaps he has information of interest for the captain."

"Sure!"

Yeosang looked around for something to tie the intruder with, but that cabin must be the only place where there were no ropes. Hm… Ropes. A random idea led him to the bed where Wooyoung slept and started searching near it.

"Why would he have ropes here? Do you think a boatswain sleeps with his arms around…?”

"I've found something!"

Yeosang exclaimed that proudly, he had touched something on one of Wooyoung's bags that was clearly a rope.  
He pulled it out ready to tie the soldier with it. It was thinner than he expected and black, but it should do.

"Leave that where you found it." Jongho said when he saw it.

"Huh?"

The smith had known the boatswain for quite some time and was unwilling to use those ropes. He didn't even want to know why he had them there.

"I said leave them. And wash your hands." And then he looked around a little. "Seonghwa's pants will do, don't keep touching that."

Of course Yeosang was confused. Why weren't those good ropes? They were perfect for tying someone up, even better than the ones he expected to find.

However, he obeyed and returned them to their place, although he ignored the part of 'wash your hands' and went straight to the pants that the other indicated. It was the same one that the blonde had taken off hours earlier, the one that had been soaked.

It was still somewhat damp, probably because of the ship's environment.

They finally accomplished their goal of tying up that soldier. When Jongho pulled away from him and released his weight, the intruder took a deep breath as if it was his last chance to breathe. However, he said nothing, aware that it did not suit him.

Jongho threw the soldier on his shoulder and then they both went up on deck.  
The blacksmith advanced calmly, but Yeosang was momentarily blinded by an unexpected sun. It was then that he realized he returned to his cursed appearance, but what struck him most was that the blacksmith had not said anything about it.

He did not ask what the prince was doing there, he did not ask why he had those horns and claws... Yeosang was not clear if he was someone considerate or if he just didn’t care.

Outside the morning had been quiet, Seonghwa and Wooyoung were finishing cleaning the deck when they saw the boy appear with an enemy thrown on his back. The first thing the silver-haired one did was look at the blonde, as if waiting to see his reaction before doing anything.

Seonghwa just blinked a few times, he was processing that. It wasn't something that weird to watch, but he just wasn't expecting it.

. . .

Wait a minute, were those his pants?

"Why is he tied up with...?"

"Don't ask." Jongho replied instantly. "What do we do with him?"

"Kill him?" Wooyoung added. "What do we want a pawn for?"

"Quiet."

Seonghwa said that to the silver-haired man as he raised a finger to his lips. As much as he was a pawn, he could have relevant information.

"Where’s the captain...?"

Yeosang asked that in a soft tone, as if his intention was to say it to himself. However, it caught the blonde's attention.

"Resting."

"We have gotten quite far from the Army..." Wooyoung continued speaking. "We'll wait anchored here until he wakes up."

"Then we have time for an interrogation." Jongho left the soldier on the ground without any care. "But you've heard it, if you scream too much you'll wake up the dreaded captain. Be careful."

It made the soldier's body tense, clearly fearful of what the captain would do to him if he woke up. Seonghwa noticed that and couldn't help but laugh a little, the image Hongjoong had formed in people's minds was something that he loved.

A stressed and sleep-deprived shorty became one of the most feared pirates, surely thanks to the fact that they had not been identified much until the exchange for Yeosang occurred. Who knows? Perhaps one day he could see his captain rise alongside the great pirates, the most respected and well known.

Finally the blonde approached the soldier and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him a little to sit him down. Then he crouched in front of him, since the best option was for him to try to get the information out of the soldier himself.  
Wooyoung used to scare them more than he should, he didn't want the boy to cry without giving them any relevant information. Surprisingly the best for those things was Hongjoong, the captain had a knack for speaking.

But he wasn't going to wake him up.

"Tell me, soldier... How much do you appreciate your life?" He started in a calm tone. "No, that's not the appropriate question..."

He was silent for a moment as if he stopped to think, clearly acting.

"How much do you appreciate a quick death?"

At that the soldier's eyes widened and he finally seemed to speak, though clearly fearful.

"I just wanted to rescue the prince...! Maybe that would raise my rank!”

"Listen to me, asshole." Wooyoung didn't take long to interrupt. “We don't give a shit what you want, we don't care about your life. Tell us something we can use. ”

"Wooyoung, chill." The blonde feared that the other would become too nervous. "But he's right, you're going to have to buy your death."

"I just wanted…!"

As soon as the soldier started that sentence again, a blow went straight to his face. It turned out that Wooyoung was not the least patient, that was just what Seonghwa believed. The blonde's fist got the enemy to cut off that sentence and start thinking about what could really interest the pirates.

During the silence Jongho picked up Seonghwa and pulled him out of the situation, trying to relax him.

Seeing that, Yeosang approached the intruder. He may not have had much experience questioning people, but he believed that a well-known prince would be less scary than a lot of pirates. The silver-haired one let him do it, he was curious how the pretty boy would do.

"What are the orders against Aurora right now?" He asked calmly. "At what extreme are we...?"

"Why do you include yourself, prince? You are not a pirate.” Said the soldier.

"Answer." Yeosang sounded rougher then. "You don't want to give the captain time to wake up."

The soldier swallowed hard. Orders. What the prince was referring to was the treatment they should be given if they were found, the conditions used to change depending on how dangerous the trapped pirates were.

"They are not great pirates, they are not a priority ..."

"But? There is always a but." Wooyoung added.

"But you have kidnapped a prince and murdered high-ranking soldiers... In addition to the record you already had." The soldier looked at the boatswain then, as if pretending to be threatening. "If you go further they could send the specialists. That will be your end.”

The specialists. The silver haired one looked at the prince waiting for an explanation, but Yeosang had no idea either. The enemy seemed proud to have confused them a bit, but that pride faded when Seonghwa approached again.

"He is bluffing. I have never heard of those specialists in my life.”

"You think so...?" Jongho added. He didn't know about it, either, but he didn't think the soldier was in a position to invent. "I don't think so, but I also don't think he knows much more about it. He is just a pawn.”

"Then we don't need him anymore." Wooyoung said tiredly. "I already told you he wasn't going to do any good."

Hearing that phrase, the fear of the intruder invaded him again, aware of what it meant to be useless. However, he couldn't think of any more information that pirates might want, he had nothing else that could extend his life.  
Seeing that, the silver-haired man walked away, ready to continue his work.

Jongho did the same and took Yeosang with him, he didn't think the prince wanted to see what was coming next. They went back to the crew cabin, where they couldn't clearly hear the soldier's screams.

There was a couple of seconds of silence, but Yeosang soon broke it.

"You saved me." He muttered. "Surely he would have led me to my death if he caught me ..."

"I’ve done what anyone would do, I saw someone attack a sleeping companion and I stopped him."

The smith's response was more casual than the prince expected, as if it had been a minor thing. Once again, he was curious about the other, after all, he had fought and immobilized a soldier without problems. He wanted to know more about Jongho, he wanted to learn from him.

"Thank you." The prince said, looking the other in the eyes. “You ended up here by bringing me a sword and on top of that you saved my life. Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beta reader known as Cryptid Reader, a Wooyoung stan, spent a great part of the chapter suffering from second hand embarrassment and that's an honor for me.


	8. Chapter 8

The sun had risen completely, and at last the door of the captain's cabin opened. Hongjoong woke up.  
He appreciated the break but it was time to go back to work. Oh, work. Then he remembered that someone else had boarded the Aurora, that blacksmith with whom they had so much trust. In a very short time they became five instead of three, which translated into more headaches for the captain.

However the presence of these did not bother him, he had been alone with Seonghwa and Wooyoung for too long.

When he came out on deck he found a more pleasant situation than expected. The ship was anchored which the blonde had taken advantage of to start teaching Yeosang how to fight. To one side Jongho and the silver-haired one were enjoying the scene, sitting on the ground. They made comments for annoying and really useful contributions, but the important thing was that they seemed to be having fun.

Going back to the other two, Seonghwa seemed quite relaxed in that situation. The prince was not exactly someone disobedient or troublemaker, so the blonde was coming to enjoy those classes.

Oh, the prince's weapon.

The captain realized that he had not seen it drawn until then, so he took a moment to admire the sword. It was a precious weapon, Jongho undoubtedly had reasons to call it one of his favorites, although the lieutenant's still stood out more.

Hongjoong didn't even remember where Seonghwa had gotten such a fancy sword, but he did know that he hadn't detached from the weapon since. Maybe he was too careful with the sword, but it was definitely worth it.

Without realizing it the captain formed a smile, he was glad to have a calmer atmosphere on his ship. They had a horrible streak of chases and escapes, the stress did not sit well with any of the pirates of the Aurora.

Finally he closed the cabin door with some force for the rest to hear. He approached them at a relaxed pace, aware that he had caught everyone's gaze except for Seonghwa.

"Do you see a future for him?" The captain asked when he was close enough.

"He learns fast." The blonde laughed a little, then signaled to the prince that he could rest. "And he knows how to listen, unlike others."

Of course both the lieutenant and Hongjoong looked at someone, specifically Wooyoung. He didn't notice, he was busy... suffering. Jongho had casually put an arm around his shoulders, but more than a show of confidence it felt like a threat to the silver-haired one. The boatswain was tense, laughing tense at each of the blacksmith's jokes.

He saw an opportunity when Yeosang went there and turned away from Jongho for the prince to sit among them. The blacksmith just looked at Wooyoung for a moment as if that offended him, but after all he was aware of what he was doing.  
When Yeosang sat next to him, Jongho pushed that intimidating air away. He just had fun scaring the silver-haired one, he wasn't going to do it to the prince too.

"How did we end up with three stupid sons?" Hongjoong said when he saw that, in a joking tone.

"Pity?" The blond man laughed then, holstering his sword at last and glancing at the captain. "Where should we move? It's not safe to stand here that long. ”

Hearing that, the other three began to pay attention too, interested in what their next destination would be. However the captain did not give any answer, he was thinking.  
He knew where he wanted to go, but he wanted to have a quiet stop before diving head first. All the places he believed safe had turned out to lead him into the army time after time, where should he go?

"We're going to Oxpass, right?" Yeosang spoke, remembering that list he saw among the captain's things. "What islands do we have on the way?"

"None hidden enough..." Hongjoong replied. "I don't want to run into soldiers again."

"There are several uninhabited."

Saying that last, Yeosang stood up, trying to remember what he knew about it. He had studied this, it was going to have to serve him something.

"None too close, but I can think of a couple of places to stop earlier." Then he looked at his captain seeking his confidence. "Places where the White Army does not usually go, they are not interested."

The captain seemed to be convinced by the plan, he did not have many alternatives in mind. He frowned a little, however, realizing that they hadn't spoken about Oxpass since the prince was aboard the Aurora. He looked at Yeosang for a couple of seconds, but seeing the other's expression he was not able to scold him for snooping through his things.  
He was like an excited child, he seemed to have forgotten that the night before he was trying to escape them.

The captain ended by simply nodding.

"Prepare yourselves." He said referring to the other navigators. Then he looked back at Yeosang. "You come with me, let's plan the route."

After that he simply turned around and began to walk back to his cabin, assuming that the other was following him. He would take advantage of this to be alone with the prince, he was interested in discovering his true intentions.

He went straight to the big table where the map was and put his hands on it, waiting for the other to arrive.

Yeosang followed him to his side, facing the huge map. Finally he leaned in a little to point out different points on this one.

"We must be in this area, so a safe route is..."

"First of all," the captain interrupted him. "I have to make sure you won't lead us into a trap."

"Uh?"

Yeosang didn’t expect it, but he understood the pirate's reasons. He leaned back a little and folded his arms, stopping to think for a moment what he could say to the other. Should he be honest or invent something convincing?

"I've spent years in seclusion..." He began to explain. "In the days I’ve been here I felt more alive than in the rest of my life."

He was going to say something else, something careful and emotional, but he thought twice. Maybe he could change his words and elicit a reaction from the other.

"And Seonghwa's presence is being a very compelling factor in staying."

Indeed that took effect, causing the captain to laugh a little under his breath. Hongjoong had obviously noticed the prince's reactions to the blonde, but saw it as nothing more than unexpected feelings from someone who had barely interacted with people.

"Welcome to the adult world." The captain said at last. "But that pretty face has a long line of people waiting."

"Are you waiting in line?"

"How are you so calm and disrespectful at the same time? Where are your prince manners?”

Yeosang had no answer for that, he had been too cheeky with the other. With his superior.  
Ah, he still hadn't come to terms with the other being his superior, his captain. Rather, it felt as if he was playing along with his captors, but it was clear that this must change.  
If he wanted to gain the trust of the pirates, he had to start acting like them, although it would not be easy. He had studied a variety of subjects that might be helpful to him on a ship, but none of them included how to behave as part of a crew.

Seeing that he received no reply Hongjoong motioned for him to come closer again.

"What route did you say was safe?"

One chance. The captain would give him one chance with that but he shouldn’t be overconfident. Finally the youngest returned to stand next to the other to plot an appropriate route.

"In this area..." He pointed to the part mentioned on the map. "There are uninhabited islands, surely because of the beasts that live on them."

"Beasts. Sounds good."

“Animals will not be a problem if we stay close to the coast. No one stops there, not even the army.”

“We'll be able to take a break, calmly teach you a couple of things, and make a plan before we go to Oxpass. I like it." The captain nodded a few times when saying that. "But it is far away. It will take us days on the high seas and we don't have supplies for five people. ”

"That's why we can stop here."

Then the prince signaled a point on the map. It was halfway between those islands and the Aurora’s position, but Hongjoong knew well what was there.

"The Landfill. You want to stop at the Landfill.”

"Uh, I thought only the nobles called it like that."

The captain took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes with his hand, thinking about what to do. The Landfill was an island known for sheltering several villages. However, only repudiated and true lost cases lived there, many of them for having been exiled from their homes. Hongjoong had evaded it until then, the bastard that lived there would dismantle the Aurora as soon as they had a chance.

However the other had a point in favor, the White Army did not approach that place. Neither the army nor anyone who did not live in it.

It was a good place to dock without being discovered.

"I am surprised that a nobleman wants to set foot there."

"I don't want to, but it was my best idea." Yeosang confessed somewhat nervously.

Silence, once again Hongjoong did not reply. He gestured for Yeosang to come out of his cabin so that he could think of an alternative, but the prince spoke again before reaching out the door.

"You don't like this situation, the army following you like this… But if you had succeeded in my kidnapping you would have suffered the same fate." The prince was trying not to say anything very shameless this time. "Why take chances like this? What do you need gold for?”

"...Yeosang.”

"Have I gone too nosy again?"

"Indeed." The captain didn't sound annoyed, though. "Maybe I'll tell you later, now inform them that we're going to the Landfill."

Yeosang nodded even though the other couldn't see him, walking out the door and closing it behind him. He figured the captain would want a few seconds alone.

He looked around for the other three and they were still sitting on the deck floor, even though the captain had told them to get ready. He expected it from Wooyoung and Jongho, but he didn't think the blonde was going to join them.  
He approached, ready to speak in his firmer tone, but he couldn't help keeping quiet when he saw that the others were speaking. He didn't want to interrupt without knowing what they were saying.

"So your mother was a pirate!" The silver haired one exclaimed, slapping the blacksmith on the shoulder. "Mine too!"

"Haha!" Jongho laughed falsely and returned the blow to the other, with much more force.

"That explains why you never betrayed us." Seonghwa was understanding quite a few things at the time.

Seeing that the conversation was not relevant enough, Yeosang pretended to cough to get the attention of the others. Once he had their attention, it took him a moment to start talking, as if he felt pressured.

"The captain asks me to inform you, let's go to the Landfill." He said at last in a nervous tone.

The other three stared at him for a moment without doing anything, but finally Seonghwa turned his gaze towards the blacksmith.

“Pirate trainee number two, do you think you can do better? Make it sound more... like a pirate.”

Yeosang felt like when his servants told him to watch his manners, only this time he was asked otherwise. Jongho stood up and cleared his voice a little, he almost seemed to prepare to start singing. Finally he spoke.

"MOVE YOUR ASS BASTARDS, HEADING TO THE LANDFILL." After that scream he took a breath and smiled, as if nothing. "How has it been?"

"Maybe it was too much." Seonghwa replied as he stood up, signaling Wooyoung to do the same.

"What a voice the kid has..." Added the silver-haired one. "What did they feed you?"

Jongho just shrugged.

They didn't have much more reaction time before the captain got out of his cabin and everything started moving faster, it was time to get going.  
The sea was calm and the wind was favorable, it was going to be a calm journey to a most troublesome place.

The good news was that this allowed Yeosang and Jongho to explore the Aurora in depth, as the other three were enough on their own. Of course, that adventure did not last too long and they ended up lying on the deck, Yeosang because he got dizzy and Jongho to keep the prince company.

The hours passed quietly, perhaps too much for the two young men. The blacksmith ended up falling asleep on the ground, but the prince was unable. He passed the time bringing the other three everything they needed while trying to deal with that dizziness. His body needed to get used to the ship, he thought.

How could Jongho sleep like that? The night had begun to fall and the other was still lying there, resting more than all the others together.

At a certain point the prince stopped to think. Last night the blacksmith had saved him from that nosy soldier. Had he just woken up? Did he spend the night awake?  
He still had trouble sleeping himself, it would not surprise him if the other had it difficult too.

"Hey, prince! There you have the consequences of what the nobles do!”

Wooyoung's scream made Yeosang take the view to the horizon, in the distance an island with a peculiar shape began to be seen. At first he thought it would be just strange mountains, but as the shapes got closer they became more suspicious. This was not a natural construction, surely the residents of the island did it.

He could also see a port that the pirates ignored, they ended up anchoring the ship at a safe distance from the beach. It was clear that they did not want to risk more rats entering the Aurora, they already had too many.

"Prepare a boat!" The captain ordered.

“Who will go for the supplies?" Seonghwa asked.

"I'll go." Hongjoong replied. "You'll stay here with the kids. Good luck."

“Are you going to go to the Landfill alone? It doesn't sound very good.”

"I said that you stay with the children, I will take Jongho."

"HEY!" Wooyoung exclaimed upon hearing that. "Jongho is younger than me! Why doesn't he count as a kid?!”

"In all these years I’ve known you, he has shown more decency than you." The captain replied. “Also, look at him. He imposes, he’ll drive away some scary bastards.”

"Thank you Captain." The blacksmith said in a calm tone, he had awakened moments before.

The truth was that Jongho had no idea what the Landfill was, he was simply going to obey.  
No one disputed that decision because despite being the youngest, Jongho was also the largest among them. Once they were in that boat on the way to land, Hongjoong could appreciate his arms as he paddled. The blacksmith was definitely going to be of use to them. He couldn't wait to test his strength.

"Okay, make sure no one lays a hand on our gold." The captain warned, despite being himself the one carrying the money. "We need it for supplies."

"I'll break the arm of anyone who tries to rob us."

"Intense." The captain laughed a little. "I like it."

Finally they reached shore and they both got off. They didn't even tie up the boat, someone would steal it anyway before they could return. They would think later about how to get back on the ship.

They didn’t have to walk far until they reached one of the island's villages, although this turned out to be very different from what the blacksmith imagined.

There were different levels in the streets, houses had been built on trees and rocks, but he also saw openings in the ground, tunnels. Those people had exploited all available space, and by the age of some buildings he supposed that these people knew how to build in those conditions without the house collapsing.  
It took him a moment to process it but he finally turned his gaze to his captain. He was somewhat surprised too, he heard about that place but seeing it was something very different.

"So what's the first thing?" The blacksmith asked. "Better get the supplies fast and get out."

"Hm..." Hongjoong pretended to pull a nonexistent list from his coat pocket and check it. "According to this, alcohol."

"Alcohol? Have we stopped here so you can get drunk while traveling?”

"Alcohol is used for many things, Jongho. Don't underestimate it.”

"I see." The blacksmith had never seen the others go drunk to his shop, he supposed they had at least minimal control over it. "Okay, let's go for..."

Before he could finish the sentence, the captain already began to walk towards the first tavern he saw, dodging with great skill any ruffian who crossed his path. Jongho hurried to keep up with him and keep an eye on the gold.

"I don't like this place." He said as the other opened the door of the tavern.

Finally they were both inside. The truth was that there were much less people than expected, so they were able to relax a little. The blacksmith was following his captain toward the bar counter when he noticed someone grab him. He turned quickly, ready to hit the stranger, but it turned out to be a lady patting his arm.

"What a strong boy." She said in a cheerful tone. "I haven't seen you around here before, have I?"

"Uh..." Jongho just watched Hongjoong move forward, as if he hadn't realized that. "I am a discreet man, I suppose."

"Surely you could with the champion, boy."

Then he understood. This lady was trying to drag him to one of the tables, where a man was striking against the bravest customers of the tavern. He looked at the captain once more.

Nothing would happen if he entertained himself a bit with that.

Hongjoong was still advancing towards his target. He had realized what had happened, but decided to ignore it and leave the matter to the blacksmith. Sitting in front of the bar counter were a couple of people. One of them was an elderly man asleep, probably due to alcohol.

The normal.

However the other person caught the pirate's attention.  
It was a young boy in cleaner clothes than the rest of those present. From there he couldn't see much more than that and his dark brown hair, so he sat down on one of the stools next to him.

"I'm going to need a few bottles of rum." He indicated to the bartender. "A long journey awaits me."

"A sailor stopping at the Landfill?" The young man spoke, then looking at Hongjoong. "It is not a very common thing."

Then he could see his face well, more specifically the huge scar that crossed it. But despite that his gaze conveyed calm, somehow the pirate felt some kind of link with that stranger.

"It was an emergency stop." Hongjoong clarified. "I wouldn't have stopped here if I had a choice."

"Ah, I understand you, I am in the same situation." The stranger sounded tired, he even laughed a little. "And I suppose your trip will not be easy if you have come to buy so much rum."

"Two tired sailors looking for alcohol." Hongjoong was definitely interested in the stranger. "May I invite you to a drink?"

"Oh, they often tell me not to drink with strangers." The unknown joked.

Then the captain turned a little on that stool to offer his hand to the other, struggling to quickly think of a false name that belonged to no one in his crew.

"Yunho, I’m Yunho." And he smiled, thanking the soldier for lending him the name.

That stranger laughed once more and responded to that greeting, taking the other's hand.

"Seungcheol."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everytime a word on the chapter matches a song title Cryptid Reader starts singing, I'll end up making a playlist


	9. Chapter 9

"Seungcheol."

Hongjoong's intention when offering his hand was to look for more marks on the other, but he didn't see anything that caught his attention beyond the huge scar that crossed his face.

Then the man behind the bar placed a sloppy cloth bag on said bar. The captain of the Aurora looked inside to verify that he was not scammed with that purchase, everything seemed fine. He took the gold out of his long coat to pay for it with the utmost discretion. He didn't want the mobs in the place to see that he had a significant amount of money with him.

“So much alcohol must be for a distant trip. May I ask where you are going, Yunho?”

"Uh?" For a moment the captain forgot that he had given that name. "It isn’t very clear yet, it will be an improvised journey."

Given this Seungcheol could not help but laugh a little, it did not sound very professional. Hongjoong laughed a little too, playing along with the other. He suspected that he was a pirate as well, so he was not going to reveal his objectives to an enemy.

He wanted to talk to him more, he wanted to know who he was and if he was a danger to the Aurora, but all he could see was someone kind-looking with a painful battle mark on his face. But before he could say anything else an unknown voice sounded.

"Captain!"

He and Seungcheol both turned around, a cheerful boy was approaching them. The large spear on his back was noteworthy, as most of those who docked at the Landfill hid their weapons to avoid drawing attention. He moved closer until he was next to them, although he did not look at Hongjoong.

"The ship is operational again, we should return to our mission."

Operational. Mission. No pirate spoke that way except for Seonghwa.

Oh Kim Hongjoong, you were so wrong about him.

Seungcheol finished his drink in one gulp, ready to get up to leave.

"You have finished surprisingly fast, where’s Mingyu?" He asked as he looked for the money to pay.

"Sleeping in a cell!" The stranger sounded too excited and positive to say that. "As soon as we get going we'll get him out!"

It was during that conversation that the pirate took a closer look at that boy. There were only scars on his arms, which he deduced was from using a spear to fight. He also saw a mole on his cheek. He seemed like good people, although Hongjoong assumed that if he saw him again it would be like an enemy.

Finally the other found the money to pay for his drink and stood up.

"Let's get back to work." He said to his subordinate.

The other nodded and prepared to walk out the door, but Seungcheol decided to say goodbye to the pirate before doing so as well.

"We'll meet again, Hongjoong."

At first the captain did not care, but then he realized he had not given his name to the other. It took him a few seconds to process the information and then he turned his gaze towards the door, the others had already left.  
He picked up what he had bought and looked around for Jongho nervously.

Then he finally found him.

The blacksmith was sitting on one of the tavern tables, surrounded by people and drinking from a pitcher. How had he paid for that? All the money was carried by the captain.  
He decided not to question it for the moment and went to him.

"We are leaving."

"Already?" Jongho was surprised at how little it took, but he got off that table instantly. "As you say."

‘Oooooh, don't go.’ The people around him seemed to admire the blacksmith. Once again Hongjoong preferred not to ask, although it was not difficult for him to imagine what had happened. It was common for a strong man to pretend to lose a bet and then challenge unsuspecting ruffians, probably the blacksmith's strength was greater than the swindler's.

"Sorry, dear audience, the show is over."

"Fuck them, no goodbyes." The captain said as he took the other by the arm and left the place with him. "Hurry."

The blacksmith didn't opose that, but he was curious about the captain's nervousness. He wasn't sure if something happened or if he just didn't like the place.  
Once outside Hongjoong released that grip to grab that bag again with both hands, he didn't want it stolen.

"Where can we buy food in a place like this?" He asked to himself.

"Why all of a sudden rush?"

"Soldiers."

“Soldiers? At the Landfill?” Jongho didn't seem alarmed, just surprised. "That is not good for the image of the army."

"I don't give a shit about the image of the army, we have to get the provisions and go."

"According to what I have been told, food is available in the tunnels."

Then the captain looked at Jongho in amazement. He was used to Wooyoung wasting time when he accompanied him to the sites, he did not expect the other to get relevant information. However, he did not congratulate him on his work when he saw something behind the blacksmith.

As if Joong had summoned him by thinking of him there was Wooyoung, clearly looking for them. What was he doing there? The captain made it clear to them that they were to keep an eye on the ship.

He pushed Jongho aside to go to the silver haired one, clearly confused by that.

"Oh captain!" Wooyoung exclaimed upon seeing him.

The first thing Hongjoong did upon reaching him was to cover his mouth with his hand, trying to avoid his screams.

"Don't expose us, asshole, this place is full of bounty hunters."

He pulled his hand away as he made sure the other was silent.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh, it turns out we will need more things."

Wooyoung paused for a moment as he saw Jongho approach, as if he had forgotten that he was with the captain. After a couple of seconds he kept talking.

"We thought we had material to treat wounds, but..."

"But? I recently checked it myself."

"But there's nothing. Maybe some soldier threw it overboard when they snuck in."

"Do you have things for wounds? I thought pirates just put up with it." Jongho added.

"We are not savages, it is easy for a wound to become infected. We have the basics to avoid dying." Wooyoung clarified, proud of it.

"Okay, okay. So... we have to get that too." Hongjoong mentally noted it. "Where are those things found at the Landfill?"

"No idea." Jongho spoke once more.

"Anyway... We'll find something."

After saying that Hongjoong offered the bag with the bottles to the silver-haired man, waiting for him to take it before continuing to speak.

"Go back to the ship, I don't want it stolen from us."

"Haaah?!" Wooyoung was clearly outraged. "I thought you would let me go with you!"

"You were wrong." The captain gestured for him to move. "Come on, we have work to do."

Silence, for once in his life the boatswain remained silent. Was he about to complain again? Yes, but it wasn't worth it with the captain. Even less with Jongho on his side.

Finally he made sure he had that bag tight and turned around, commenting one last time before he started walking.

"But hurry up, we've already had to kick some thief ass."

. . .

Both the blacksmith and the captain were silent for a moment, watching the other walk away. Finally Jongho broke the moment.

"The tunnels, let's go to the tunnels."

"Maybe there’s information about the local doctor. Let's ask while we get supplies."

The youngest nodded, and then they both started towards the openings they had seen when they arrived.

Getting under the ground was not something that made Hongjoong excited, he was someone used to the breadth of the sea ... To see the sky.  
However, he was not going to waste time doubting.

They entered the village tunnels, the corridors of which were lit with various torches. They were not very wide, it was more like a maze of corridors and signs. From time to time a new opening was seen, it was easy to distinguish those that were stores.

They looked at all of them until one seemed to have food and various utensils, so they entered. 

Meat, meat. That was the priority but they didn't find much. Those people seemed too poor to have meat for sale.

They could get the fish on their own and the vegetables didn't excite them, usually it was the lieutenant who added it to the provisions.  
Finally they took what most convinced the captain's taste, even if it wasn't too much.

Maybe they could hunt something on that beast island Yeosang mentioned. Monster meat, hm.

They paid for it, the woman in charge did not seem to hesitate to use her sword against thieves or swindlers.

But when they went out into the hallways again, something happened.

Darkness, as if by magic all the torches were extinguished.

"What the...?"

The captain could say little more before he felt the air thicken, what was happening?

"Jongho!" He screamed, hearing no reaction from the other.

Silence. Nobody answered.

Finally he noticed something, someone grabbed his coat and pulled hard. The captain gripped what he had just bought, he did not want that money to be wasted.

By the time he felt his body fall to the ground the lights came back on.

All the torches had been re-lit at the same time, this was definitely not an accident.

He looked at his side looking for Jongho, but he wasn't there. Nor was the door to that store; he had moved to a different place.

"Magic…?"

It was not very common among humans, but perhaps the Landfill was a refuge for magical beings as well. He took a moment to breathe and check the food, everything was still in place except for himself.

"You were lucky that I was here."

That voice sounded behind the captain, scaring him.

It was a female voice, though clearly muffled by… a mask perhaps? He was able to confirm this as soon as he turned around.

Although she wore a doctor's uniform, she wore it quite a bit in her own style. The beak-shaped mask was unmistakable. However her long black hair was exposed.

He found a doctor. Good for him.

The woman held out a hand to help him to his feet, a gesture the pirate accepted instantly. As he did so, he could smell the herbs stored in that false beak, which were said to scare away the masked spirits.

He also noted that the other was shorter than he was. At last he could be the tallest in the place.

"What happened?" Then he took a couple of steps away from her. "How do I know you haven't done this?"

"You should worry about your friend, not about me being suspicious or not." She said. "This has been the Black Feathers."

"The Feathers...?"

"Bounty hunters but not humans." And she started rummaging through a discreet bag she carried with her. "They hunt pirates. They want to gain favor from the army to live among humans."

"Oh great."

The captain looked around. He didn't even know where he was exactly, but at least he had help. He couldn't lose Jongho the first day he took him off the ship, the blacksmith was someone useful.

"How do I get to them?"

"Why would I know? I'm just a traveling doctor looking for possessed guys."

She shrugged her shoulders.

Possessed. Oh no, she was a spiritual doctor. These worked independently and hated the methods of the church, their specialty being the masked spirits.

It was rare for one of them to sell what Hongjoong needed, if not impossible.

"Shit, shit… What do I do now?"

"... Pfft." She chuckled softly.

"What's wrong with you now?"

"I know where they are, it's not difficult to trace their magic."

"And why did you tell me you didn't know?!"

"I just wanted to see your reaction, pirate. It's not normal for your kind to risk your life for a partner."

Again someone who knew more than they should, great. He decided not to even ask.

"Help me. I will pay you."

Finally she found what she had been looking for in that bag for so long. A green apple.

She muttered a few words and the fruit turned deep red, something the pirate did not expect. It was not common for a spiritual doctor to use magic, surely she was not human either.

It could be a trap, she could be to blame for what happened.

But he had to try.

Finally she handed the apple to Hongjoong without giving any explanation.

"What do I do with this? Do I throw it at them until they die?"

“Eat it, fool.” She sounded tired of that question, as if she heard it a lot. "So you can see their trail too. Follow their magic."

Oh no, Hongjoong was not thrilled that they used magic on him. Not since he discovered his ability to revive. He didn’t know who had done this to him, he feared that he had disturbed some god in his past life or something similar.

At that moment he put a hand to the pendant under his shirt, the one that the blonde stole for him.

Finally he bit the apple.


	10. Chapter 10

Absolute darkness, that was the only thing Jongho noticed around him. He didn't listen to Hongjoong, he didn't listen to the woman in that store, he didn't listen to anything. Was he alone?

Unlike pirates and adventurers, the blacksmith didn’t encounter magic often, yet he knew how to recognize it.

He remembered the old stories people told him, but he couldn't think what species could use their magic to move people around. He was too calm for someone who had just been kidnapped, yeah, but he wasn't easy to scare because of the amount of business he did with pirates in the armory.

Finally he heard something: footsteps.

He guessed that they were the footsteps of his captors, as they were somewhat far from him.

"It is very impolite to bring me here without taking me to dinner earlier." The blacksmith said, laughing a little.

He wanted an answer, he wanted to know if the culprits were really out there. In a short time the light began to invade the place, torches lighting up the width of a cave. The first thing Jongho saw were bars in front of him, although not in very good condition. They had locked him up, obviously.

But what interested him was that beyond the bars. The cave appeared to be some kind of warehouse, perhaps filled with stolen merchandise.

Nor was he interested. At last he looked at the people there, the people who had ignored his comment.

If they worked a little, they could look human, they would only have to hide the different black feathers that adorned parts of their bodies. Harpies? No, they didn't have that kind of magic as far as he knew.

There were a couple of them facing the bars, clearly watching him, while another seemed to care for an exhausted companion. She must be the magic user, she was resting from the spell that brought the blacksmith there.

"What do you want from me, birds?" He asked, looking at those in charge of watching him.

Finally one of them smiled, making it clear that he had an advantage in that situation. The blacksmith didn’t think the same, but preferred to find out what happened before doing anything.

"It is not personal, but you are expensive pirates." He said at last.

"Expensive. I just got on this boat.” He paused, trying to understand the other’s intentions. "My companions are famous but they are only minor pirates."

Minor pirates. These were the majority of pirates, all those who failed to rank among the great pirates or war lords. Despite that being the White Army classification, every sailor used it.

The cell guard went to answer but then realized someone was missing. The most valuable of their targets didn’t fall into the spell.

"Fuck!" He screamed in frustration. "Where's your captain?!"

"You really are useless."

Once again Jongho laughed after saying that and stepped back a bit, ready to sit and wait. He wanted to get some information out of them before trying to leave, he wasn't going to face them alone when they had magic on their side.

However, he collided with something as he backed away and nearly fell. There was someone else in that cell. How many pirates did they catch?

He looked down and saw the other kidnapped man lying with his back to him. Was he asleep? Had he really gone to sleep in that situation?

He sat next to him and then he saw his face.

His eyes were open. He was not asleep, he was gagged. Jongho hadn't even been tied up, what kind of scandal had the other made?

…

. . .

"Wait a minute."

Was that possible? Jongho started rummaging through his pants pockets, something that clearly alerted the guards. However, what he took out was not a weapon, it was a piece of paper. Specifically, it was that arrest warrant that the soldier gave him in the armory. He brought it a little closer to that strange and... surprise, it was him.

“But didn't Wooyoung catch you? And then the army? What kind of escapist are you?”

The other just made a noise, making it clear that he couldn't answer him.

"Oh, right."

It was then that he took a closer look at who would be his cellmate for a while. Despite wearing a high neck and leather gloves, Jongho could see numerous bandages on one of his arms. Surely he had more in the rest of the body, perhaps he was wounded while fleeing from the soldiers.

Bandages. Wounds to treat.

"How did you get to the Landfill?"

Jongho looked for a moment at the one on the ground and then at the man who was watching them.

"What has this guy done to end gagged? I need to talk to him."

"Do it at your own risk."

The smith did not expect that answer, but at least he would get some explanation. He grabbed the other pirate by the shirt and lifted him up to make him sit down, something the other didn't even bother to resist. Finally Jongho removed the cloth that kept him silent.

"FINALLY!"

The other's scream made the blacksmith regret the moment he had allowed him to speak.

"DON'T SCREAM, YOU IDIOT!" Jongho replied, screaming too.

It worked, that managed to silence the stranger.

"How did you get here?" Jongho asked in a serious tone.

"I am a great navigator, huh."

"Lie to me again and you’ll eat the iron bars."

"I got a place on your ship." He corrected himself instantly.

Silence, Jongho gave himself a couple of seconds of silence to think. The other sneaked into the Aurora and managed not to be discovered during the trip, in addition to stealing the medical equipment from the pirates. How did he hide being someone that big?

"What’s your name?" Asked the blacksmith

"Huh?" It wasn’t a question that the other expected. "Mingi. Captain Mingi."

"Mingi." The blacksmith corrected him. "You can't be a captain without a crew."

The other seemed offended by that correction but did not add anything. He didn't want to tempt someone who had threatened him seconds before.

"Tell me, Mingi..." Jongho continued speaking. "Have you been disarmed?"

That question made the men watching them look at each other, somewhat nervous. At first Mingi was going to respond discreetly, but he soon realized that the other wanted to be heard. He shifted forward a little, dragging his ass across the dirty cell floor. He looked a little beyond the bars until he finally saw a wooden box, apparently full of stolen items.

"My swords should be there." He pointed out with his head.

"Cool."

As soon as Jongho answered and stood up, both men guarding them pulled out their weapons. He couldn't help noticing them, one had poor quality daggers while the other carried a probably stolen sword. Apparently the group depended on the one who knew how to use magic.

Finally he grabbed the bars that held them prisoner, keeping his gaze on the enemies.

"What do you plan to do with that? You can't scare the bars until they bend.”

"I've made toothpicks better than these bars."

"What do you think you are doing?!" One of those guys exclaimed.

Both prisoners looked at him but they were not alarmed. Rather, the interruption offended them. He seemed to have no intention of approaching, nor did his partner. It was then that the blacksmith looked at Mingi once more.

He knew nothing of his combat ability, but he was large and seemed strong. He also showed that he knew how to cause problems.

He motioned for him to move away from the bars.

Was he just going to break them? Was it his plan? Even an escapist like Mingi didn't think of that option, but he obeyed and took a couple of steps back.

The enemies guarding them were not moving, it was unclear if they were afraid or confident that Jongho would not be able to break the bars.

However, that attitude changed when the blacksmith began to force himself while staring at them, making it clear that they would be next. At first it didn't seem to have an effect, but it wasn't long until the metal began to move.

This was hard to believe for everyone there. How was a young man in his early twenties breaking some metal bars with just his hands?

Mingi was amazed. He couldn't take his eyes off the other, allowing him to see something out of the ordinary. The red cloth on the other's arm was still in place, but something strange was happening under it.

Scales.

Scales were beginning to appear on Jongho's arm, and it all started on whatever was under the cloth. It was a good explanation for such a show of strength, but also disturbing.

"Stop now!"

One of the guards, the one with the daggers, raised his weapons to threaten the blacksmith. He was extremely nervous, as expected, but that did not stop him from continuing to speak.

"Stay away from the bars or you're a dead man!"

"Get me away from the bars yourself." Jongho replied instantly.

Mingi couldn't help but laugh upon hearing the blacksmith, though it didn't take long for him to cut his laughter when those guys finally approached them.

"OH SHIT."

"Don't scream, it's not even you who is doing this!"

After saying that Jongho backed away suddenly, he had deformed the bars enough to get out but he wasn't going to expose himself to those enemies so easily. The one with the sword stopped before entering the cell, clearly he didn’t want to use the weapon.

The plan to shoot them down when they entered wasn’t going to work since they did not enter, so Jongho sighed and went back to the opening.

"Watch out!" Mingi said seeing how he was approaching the enemies.

However, the blacksmith did not hesitate, he threw himself against the enemy through those deformed bars. It was not difficult for him to knock him to the ground, but his problem was that he was not the only enemy that would attack. Once he could take that sword, he kept one foot on his rival.

"You bark a lot but you don't know how to bite."

He took a look around him. The other guard held his daggers up high, but didn't seem to know how to use them well. Dealing with him should be easy, although the problem was the sorceress and the guy who was with her, who stayed by her side to protect her.

What a disastrous plan, what a disappointing enemy. The worst kidnapping Jongho had ever been in.

He looked to the side when he saw that Mingi was there, apparently he got the courage when he wasn’t in the front line of battle.

"Get your weapons back."

He said this to him as he cut the ropes that bound his hands, then offered him the sword he had taken from the defeated enemy. The other took it and looked at the box he had seen a while ago. It was beyond the woman and her bodyguard.

She seemed to have recovered enough to fight, it wasn’t going to be easy.

"Hey." Jongho said before the other walked away from him. "Don't kill them."

"I’ll do what I can."

The smith was satisfied with that questionable answer. He took his foot off the guy and went straight for the one holding the daggers. He was going to clear the path to the other and go help him as soon as possible.

Mingi went straight to that box, fighting with his own weapons would make the job much easier.

However, the man covering the sorceress stood in his way.

He was big, yeah, but shorter than Mingi. The guy was not someone peculiar, who did catch the pirate's attention was the woman he protected.

He hadn't paid much attention to her until then, but she had far more of those black feathers than the rest of her companions. Her hair was the same color and her eyes were red, in addition to the fact that some tattoos could also be seen throughout her body.

The tattoos looked like marks from some kind of tribe.

He stopped to think of the species that carried tattoos like those as if he had all the time in the world, assuming that the man in front of him would be like the others and would hesitate when fighting.

He was wrong, he received a strong kick as soon as he stopped looking at him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Jongho's scream coincided with the noise of Mingi falling to the ground.

"DON'T SCREAM AT ME, I'M TRYING!"

"TRY BETTER!"

Mingi got up as fast as he could, he didn't want to continue on the ground when his enemy reached him. He went towards that big man with the sword in hand, it was time to fight. It was up to him to demonstrate that ability that allowed him to escape from the White Army over and over.

It didn't take long for Jongho to take down the poor guy he was fighting with, so he went to help the other one. However something caught his attention, the woman was mumbling something while the tattoos on her skin spread.

She was going to attack at any moment.

Mingi seemed to be dealing well with the beefy man, so the blacksmith decided to go after her.

"Don’t you dare!"

She finally spoke, her voice sounded distorted as if the magic affected her. Jongho couldn't deny that it made him hesitate for a moment, but he didn't know how dangerous her magic could be. He had to stop her.

He was heading straight for the sorceress, but when he was about to reach her something hit him. Or rather someone, the man had thrown Mingi against the blacksmith, causing them both to end up on the floor.

"Ugh..." Jongho didn’t hesitate to push the other off him. "How have you survived so long?"

"Luck haunts me, I suppose." Mingi said as he tried to get up.

But he barely managed to put one knee to the ground when the other man was already standing in front of them, with that sword that Mingi had apparently lost.

"Last words, pirates?"

The man's voice was intimidating, but the two threatened men only looked at each other.

"I can’t think of anything." Said the blacksmith.

"Same." The other replied.

"How about ‘Thank you Captain’?"

That last voice, which had just entered the scene, was followed by a loud noise. A shot that went straight into the man's forehead.

There were two screams at the time, that of the woman who had just seen a comrade die and that of Mingi, who didn’t expect the noise of the shot.

Jongho turned around and looked in the direction of the voice. There was Hongjoong, one of his pistols in hand. He looked clearly tired, he definitely didn't like being in those tunnels.

"Captain!" The blacksmith exclaimed, standing up quickly. "How did you find us...?!"

"WATCH OUT!"

Mingi's scream interrupted Jongho, the pirates were quick to see what he meant.

The sorceress.

In an instant something launched Hongjoong against one of the walls, causing him to cross almost half of the warehouse. Jongho was startled to see the impact, of course, it was not clear how much damage a magic blow like that could do. If it was the spell the woman had been preparing it could leave serious injuries.

…

There was no reaction from the captain, there were no complaints.

The blacksmith needed to get close, he couldn't leave him unprotected if he was unconscious.

"Take care of her!" Jongho ordered.

"What do you intend me to do it with?!" The taller one argued, though raising his fists slightly.

"There’s a sword in front of you, take it!"

"What the hell do you think she just threw?!"

Oh no.

Had she used the sword as a projectile in her spell?

Jongho went as fast as he could to the captain, he needed to see what state he was in.

Mingi was not lying with that, the sorceress had thrown the sword. She also did it with excellent aim.

The blacksmith found the weapon piercing the captain's chest.

Without even stopping to think about what he should do, he picked up the sword and yanked it out of the captain's body.

* * *

"Are you saying you don't know either?" Yeosang asked in a frustrated tone.

"I am just like you." Wooyoung replied calmly.

There they were, sitting on the ground, playing cards while Seonghwa cleaned the deck of the Aurora once again. The prince had taken the opportunity to try to discover what was between the blond and the captain, but the answer didn’t seem clear to anyone.

Only one more round of that game passed, after that Yeosang's attention was completely diverted. He had only looked at Seonghwa for a moment, but was unable to return to the game when he noticed something strange.

Normally the blonde wore black clothes, something that would have disguised it, but the white shirt he was wearing at that time showed it clearly.

"He's bleeding." Yeosang muttered.

The silver haired one couldn't help but look at the blonde too, wondering what kind of stupid wound the other got while cleaning.

However it didn't look as ridiculous as he expected, the whole back of that shirt was starting to turn red and the other one didn't even seem to notice.

"HOLY FUCK."

Wooyoung's scream managed to get the lieutenant's attention. He looked around for something that could cause that reaction, obviously without success.

"WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU, YOU DUMB. WHAT THE FUCK HAS HAPPENED TO YOUR BACK?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the comments from my beta readers were "Gonbeaja" (like everytime I write answer) and some dick jokes lmao
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter


	11. Chapter 11

"WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU, YOU DUMB. WHAT THE FUCK HAS HAPPENED TO YOUR BACK?”

"My back?"

Seonghwa was clearly confused by that and the first thing he did was touch his back. He didn't notice anything strange, it didn't hurt. However, he could see the blood on his hand seconds later.

Something was really happening to him. He couldn't remember having any open wounds in that area, so it could only be one thing.

Oh

"Joong." The blonde muttered without realizing it.

"Hah?"

Wooyoung couldn't hear that but he could see how concern began to invade the lieutenant. It seemed serious, he approached him ready to check the wounds that caused it.

However, he only got to approach his hand to the blonde's clothes when he suddenly reacted.

Seonghwa took a couple of steps away from the silver-haired, something that only alerted him further.

"What about the captain?"

Yeosang's interruption got them both looking at him. One did not know why he mentioned Hongjoong, the other did not know how he heard him. Did that cursed shape allow him to hear better?

This was not the time to think about it.

"He's in trouble." The blonde replied after a few seconds. "In serious trouble."

"And what does that have to do with your back?" Wooyoung was frustrated, he wanted to help the other but he couldn't see his injuries. "Come here, ugh."

But the blonde turned away from him again. Every step the boatswain took forward, the other backed two away.

They went around the deck a couple of times until Yeosang got fed up with that anticlimactic chase; He grabbed Seonghwa's shirt from behind and ripped it open with those fearsome black claws.

The lieutenant could feel them, the other one almost tore his skin too.

"My dear lieutenant Seonghwa." Yeo said, imitating the tone the blonde used when he held the prince captive. "What about the captain?"

"He’s dead."

Although the answer was something the other two expected, it took them a couple of seconds to process it.

Especially the silver-haired, Wooyoung seemed to be connecting the dots. Was Seonghwa linked to the captain? Perhaps involved in what didn’t allow him to die?

Finally the boatswain took a deep breath.

"You'll have to give him an explanation when he returns."

A chill invaded the blonde's body upon hearing the other's response, and not because he had to discuss it with Hongjoong. He expected the other to scream, to ask him something else. What was Wooyoung thinking about?

"When he returns." Yeosang repeated softly. "He will revive, but..."

"It will be fine as long as we keep the Aurora safe." Wooyoung added.

"And Jongho?" The prince sounded concerned, as expected. "If he dies... there’s nothing that will bring him back. They were together."

* * *

"LEAVE THE DEAD BODY IN HIS PLACE AND HELP ME!"

Mingi's scream invaded that cave with ease. The pirate was facing this strange sorceress, but the woman was not someone easy to reach. He supposed that she would have to recover every time she used her magic, so he tried to take advantage of those moments to attack.

He was right, but it was more difficult than it seemed. She was skilled.

Jongho was away from the fight, waiting for the captain to wake up. He had never experienced this, he didn’t know if he really would. What if it was a huge lie made to intimidate? How could he get back to the ship without him?

Behind him the fight continued, despite the blacksmith's ignorance.

"Oh no."

Mingi's murmur was due to the sorceress having her magic again. He noticed something grab his foot, a hand came out of his own shadow.

That hand reached up to lift the pirate off the ground, then launched him toward one of the walls.

"FUCK!" Mingi yelled just before the blow.

Luckily, it did catch the blacksmith's attention, something positive came out of being stamped against a wall of pure rock.

When he fell to the ground he felt as if the entire cave had fallen on him, the pain was intense.

That was the fault of the wounds he had bandaged hours before, which were practically still open.

Oh, Mingi was going to need a good rest after that.

The woman was going towards him. If she caught up with him it would end badly, of course. He tried to stand up but the pain was too much, so he started to move as he could to get away from her. He was going to an area with various boxes and supplies in the hope of being able to cover himself, but he was too slow.

He noticed the magic finally coming back to her. He was a dead man.

The sorceress's gaze went straight to the pirate's and she finally began to invoke her magic. Mingi closed his eyes and waited for the impact.

But instead he heard a strange noise, something like the noise of a bird that has just been hit against a rock.

He opened his eyes to see what had happened, although it was easy to deduce.

Jongho charged at the sorceress with all his might to push her away from Mingi, something she did not expect in the least.

"Thank God!" He screamed with the energy he had left.

"No god has helped you, thank me!" Jongho exclaimed in response.

Mingi couldn't help but chuckle at that. Then he resumed his intention to go to those boxes, he wasn’t going to be useful if he couldn’t move well. Jongho was also not having it easy to contain the woman, the last thing he needed was the other cluttering.

Finally he reached for one of the boxes and sat down with his back against it.

As soon as the pain subsided he would rise to help, that was what the pirate repeated to himself.

He turned his gaze to the confrontation, the blacksmith was certainly strong. She was having more and more trouble escaping him.

At that moment he was able to stop and think again. What was she?

Feathers, magic related to darkness... What species fulfilled those conditions? He couldn't think of any.

Oh. A noise.

A noise distracted him from the combat, it sounded on the other side of the warehouse. It wasn’t a very big thing, it was stones moving. More enemies? If so, they had a serious problem.

No. He finally saw where it came from.

"OH SHIT!"

That scream came to hurt him, yeah, but it was the expected reaction after seeing a dead man get up.

Hongjoong was on his feet. The wound on his chest closed but blood flooded his clothes. At the scream he directed his gaze towards Mingi for a moment, it was not difficult for him to realize that he couldn't continue fighting well. Then he looked at the other two and raised one of his pistols.

That sorceress had filled the soft hair of his coat with blood. How dare she? At first he thought it was someone with power who was forced to use it for others, but she killed him.

And he intended to return it to her.

He spent a few seconds with the weapon raised, aiming, as he approached the combat at a leisurely pace. He had to find the right moment, if he shot the blacksmith he would have problems.

Finally, the right moment.

He pulled the trigger and the noise of the shot invaded the warehouse again.

He only managed to reach her shoulder but at least she recoiled from the impact. The blacksmith had never been so glad to hear a shot, the captain had truly returned from death.

However, he did not celebrate, something caught his attention. The bullet had pierced the sorceress's shoulder but when it came out the other side the blood was not with it, only black feathers sprouted from the wound. It was as if he had shot a scarecrow.

At that moment the four present stopped. The pirates were shocked by the discovery, the sorceress to see that Hongjoong lived.

"So human weapons cannot hurt you." Mingi said as he stood up. "I still don't know what you are."

As if everyone assumed the fight was over, Jongho lowered his fists and took a more relaxed position. She had no way to win and they couldn't hurt her, keeping fighting didn't make sense.

The captain finally reached them, still with the weapon in hand in case it was necessary.

"I am also curious." He spoke as he leaned against the blacksmith. "It might be worth it not to kill you."

"No one would want to buy a demon, pirate." She replied in a threatening tone.

Demons. Although many believed them to be fearsome beings and enemies of the gods, they were just another species in the world. There were numerous demon tribes, each with different traits and powers.

That explained why Mingi failed to recognize her species.

He was rummaging through those boxes as best he could, it still hurt to move. Finally he found what he was looking for, the two swords that belonged to him and the long coat that he always carried with him.

Hongjoong noticed that, of course. Maybe in those boxes he could find something interesting, maybe supplies.

…

Huh?

"Damn, the supplies."

Suddenly the captain looked at the wall where he had died moments before, the bag with the food should have gone flying at that moment. He was running towards it awkwardly, losing all the intimidating energy he had gained. He couldn't miss the most important thing, if he came back without food Seonghwa would lecture him for days.

Luckily he could find it, everything was still in the bag except for some fruits that had been thrown on impact. He wasn't going to waste that, so he went from side to side of the cave looking for them and putting them in the sack.

Both Jongho and the woman stared at him, confused, until the blacksmith spoke.

"What is your name?"

"Huh?"

"Your name. I want to know your name." He repeated. "You don't look like someone who ended up here of their own will."

She was silent for a couple of seconds. Why was the other interested in that? She was just the person who had kidnapped him. However, she ended up responding.

"Olivia."

"Olivia." Then the blacksmith turned to look at her. "How did you end up here? You don't seem like such a bad person. ”

"I had no choice."

The sorceress ended up sitting on the ground, aware that she could not escape them. Jongho remained standing, who did sit next to her as soon as he could was Mingi. He made a strange noise as he did so, clearly in pain.

Finally Olivia sighed, ready to give the blacksmith a better answer.

"The raven demon tribe is strict, the weak are eliminated."

"And you were one of the weak." Mingi interrupted.

"No." She corrected, somewhat offended. "But I found out who they were. I found out who was going to be killed and warned them, told them to run away.”

Finally Hongjoong returned to the group, although he wasn’t very clear why they were listening to the tragic backstory of someone who had tried to kill them. He just listened without questioning it.

"Almost all of them decided to just leave, but one of them didn't..." She seemed a little angry saying that, as if reliving what she felt when it happened. "He said he wasn't going to run away, he told me to leave with the others."

"You? But you weren't going to die for staying. ” Jongho added.

"I thought so, but I didn't want to stay with those people so I listened to him." He paused for a moment, thinking about what he was going to say next. "As we were leaving I could see it. That night the tribe burned and was filled with blood.”

"Wait wait." The captain interrupted then. “I haven't heard the first part well, but… Did a guy destroy his entire tribe because they rejected him? Oh, I would love to meet him.”

And he laughed a little, something that Jongho caught.

For his part, Mingi remained silent. Perhaps he used to inflate his achievements when he spoke, but if anything was true it was his knowledge of magical beings.

That guy must be incredibly strong to destroy the most powerful demons of his kind. Why was he considered weak?

Oh, maybe they just killed him after he destroyed the tribe.

"Humans won't give you a home no matter how much wealth you have." Hongjoong spoke again, though rather more seriously. "You should be looking for something else to waste your life on."

That said, the captain again separated from the group to head towards those boxes, ready to loot as much as he could.

She followed him with her gaze and finally said something to him.

"How did you get here, pirate?"

"A girl gave me a magic apple."

He spontaneously answered that, though Jongho and Mingi were clearly confused. Had they drugged Hongjoong? However, Olivia did know what the topic was about.

"Yves?! Yves sold me?!” She sounded offended, as if she had been betrayed. "Why did she bring you here?!"

"Maybe she wanted this to happen. And she has not sold you, she has given you away for free.”

Once again, Hongjoong's reply sounded like pure nonchalance.

"Bingo!" He exclaimed when he found a box with medical supplies. "This should be enough."

Surely that was all the demon group had to survive, but that was not his problem. He needed supplies and was going to get them.

Although the ointments were somewhat strange, he still took them.

"You two move your ass, I don't want to be here when the other crows wake up." He added as he stuffed his loot into the same sack as the food.

"Both of us?"

Mingi was confused. Had he included him? Why?

"You sneaked onto our ship, I don't like that." Hongjoong clarified. "But you smashed the Army ship during the prince's exchange, right?"

Oh oh.

"I don't think you'll last long if we leave you here, not with those injuries."

After saying that, the captain signaled to Jongho. He interpreted it on the spot and picked Mingi up in his arms, trying not to hurt him too much. The other did not react, he was processing what happened. He had nothing against it, he was only surprised that the dreaded captain of the Aurora had welcomed him in this way. And without even asking.

"Are you going to just leave?" Olivia asked.

"You also should." Jongho replied. “As the captain has said, find another way to spend your life. One worthwhile.”

* * *

"Shouldn't we go help them?"

But his question was not answered.

Yeosang was concerned, of course, but the other two decided that they would stay on the ship. They had to protect it so Hongjoong could return, but the prince was still uneasy at the idea of letting Jongho die for it.

At some point he thought about looking for them on his own, but he wasn't exactly the most skilled in the place.

The blacksmith ended up in the Aurora for bringing him that sword, if he died a day after that Yeosang would feel more guilty than anyone.

The other two were silent. Wooyoung was cleaning the wounds on the blonde's back, despite the other's insistence to avoid it. They were two huge wounds that went from top to the bottom of his back.

The atmosphere was tense and there was no lack of reasons for it.

Even Yeosang wondered what Seonghwa had been hiding from his two companions.

The prince ended up walking away from the situation. He directed his gaze to the shore of the beach, it didn’t seem such a bad place despite being called ‘the Landfill’. He was literally expecting a mountain of trash, but apparently the trash of the place was the people.

Uh. Thinking of the latter, he closed his eyes for a moment.

The trash of the place was the people.

That was a horrible phrase, it sounded wrong even in his mind. He must get rid of that idea, he didn't want to sound like the nobles who preferred him dead.

Luckily it was easy for him to stop thinking about it when he saw two figures on the beach. It was the captain and Jongho, they were both safe... and carrying more things than the prince expected. Was Jongho carrying a person? Had someone else been kidnapped?

He didn’t care at that time.

"They're here!" He exclaimed so the other two would listen.

He could see perfectly well the others stealing a random boat from the shore, so he just waited on the ship until they arrived.

But the other two were still silent.

They were clearly relieved, but no one said anything about it. Seonghwa simply put on a black shirt to cover those wounds and Wooyoung prepared to facilitate the climb to the Aurora for the captain and company.

It wasn't long before the others arrived.

The first thing the captain did was drop the bag of provisions onto the deck, as he was tired of carrying it. He was about to speak, but the atmosphere surprised him and he remained silent.

It didn't take Wooyoung long to notice the other load, Jongho's, and break the silence.

"WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?!"

His screams made the captain's eyes narrow a little, as if his head ached when he heard him. However Mingi replied, making it worse.

"YOU! WHAT KIND OF PIRATE WOULD SELL ANOTHER ONE TO THE ARMY?!”

"ANYONE! IT’S COMMON SENSE! SURVIVAL INSTINCT!"

"I don't want to shoot a third time today, stop screaming." The captain finally added. "You will discuss that later, we have to go."

"Captain. Before we go…” Wooyoung lowered his voice suddenly, not a good sign. "You should speak with Seonghwa."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It would be pretty lit that the dangerous crow demon appeared, right?
> 
> Also, follow me on twitter ( @_JinHit) to see some art of this fic, designs and scenes!


	12. Chapter 12

Tension invaded the captain's cabin, where Hongjoong and Seonghwa had been talking for a while. The blonde gave a quick explanation about what was preventing him from dying, although nothing very detailed.

The captain was trying to process it, although he did not seem very surprised.

He feared that his ability to revive had been a punishment from beyond, knowing that it was the lieutenant's fault was a positive surprise. Besides that he already suspected something, because the other was the one who discovered that he was linked to the Aurora.

Finally he took a breath and spoke.

"A pact. You made a pact to revive me and this happened."

The captain sounded completely serious, so Seonghwa just nodded.

"The day we went down you made a pact with... god knows what." He did not seem to doubt the story, something like this had to be from the hands of a magical being. "You brought us back in exchange for something."

"Uh?"

'In exchange for something'. That was something Seonghwa had not mentioned when explained but to the captain it was obvious. No one would gift eternal life for free, no matter how much a pretty face the blonde had.

It was also clear that the other had only given him a quick explanation, that there was much more behind that story.

However, this was not the time to investigate. He wanted to get out of that place, he wanted to move the Aurora before he started asking questions and yelling.

"We'll talk later." He said at last, gesturing for the other to leave the cabin.

"Joong, I just did..."

"Lieutenant Seonghwa." He sounded completely serious, he even let out some anger at that moment. "I am your captain, speak to me as such."

Oh. That really shocked the blonde, until then there had never been complaints about him using the other's name. After all, they had known each other before they were pirates.

It bothered him, of course, but he was in no position to complain about something like that.

"Of course, my captain."

Seonghwa finally answered. He simply listened to the other and left the cabin, although he was unable to contain the door slamming when he left.

Upon hearing the blow Hongjoong sighed. He was aware of how the blonde acted when frustrated, but he couldn't allow his crew to lie to him and hide information like that.

It was time for the other to learn to respect his captain.

Of course that door slam was also heard by the rest of the crew. Yeosang and Jongho in particular, as Mingi was taking care of his injuries and Wooyoung seemed quite focused on the ship.

They both looked at the blonde as he left the captain's cabin, waiting for orders.

However, Seonghwa said nothing, just took a deep breath and prepared to get going when the captain said so. After all, the orders had to be given by Hongjoong, he hadn't said anything about it to the blonde.

Discomfort, that was what invaded the prince and the blacksmith. At that time they had been talking about it, trying to understand the situation as well as possible.

"They definitely have argued."

Jongho said that in a low tone, making sure only the other one heard him.

The prince only had time to nod before that door reopened. Hongjoong came out and took a look around him.

Both Seonghwa and Wooyoung were already prepared, fine.

"You all know the course! We're out of this place!"

That said he went to the helm. He was glad to be able to leave the Landfill at last, he hated this place with all his heart.

It should be mentioned that he had changed his clothes because the others had been filled with blood that would be difficult to clean.

He felt quite a bit smaller than normal without that coat. However, he was still scary, especially with the seriousness that invaded him at that moment.

"We have to work, partner. We cannot stay behind."

Jongho said that and stood up, reaching out to the prince to help him up as well.

Yeosang accepted the gesture and formed a slight smile. He was glad the other one was there.

"Let's become real pirates." He answered at last.

That said they joined the rest, it was time to work.

At first everything was normal, but after a while Yeosang noticed something strange. As with Seonghwa's whispering before, he was managing to hear things that he normally couldn't.

If it really was because of the curse, why hadn't he noticed it until then?

Perhaps it was because he had been locked up for so many years, he was discovering then what he was.

'What he was.'

He always thought of it as a monster he had become, but there was never a time in his life without it. He was born carrying that curse, it was part of him.

He had never thought about living with it, not until he got on that boat.

Maybe it wasn't that bad.

"Hey, the one with the horns!"

That scream managed to collide with Yeosang's thoughts, as it wasn't exactly his favorite nickname. He turned to see who was calling and he saw this tall guy, the last one to board the Aurora.

He didn't even remember his name, to be honest.

For his part, Mingi had called the one he saw most available. The rest were too focused on getting the ship off the rocks of the Landfill.

Seeing that he had Yeosang's attention, he kept talking.

"What is the course?!" He asked as he went towards the prince. "I don't even know where you are taking me!"

"Uh." The first thing the prince did was look him up and down. "The island has no name, the captain calls it monster island."

"It sounds super appetizing."

The truth was that Mingi did not ask out of curiosity, he felt bad being the only one who did not work. After all, the captain saved his life.

"..."

But Yeosang was not convinced by the presence of the other.

It was true that there were several who had climbed the Aurora in those days, but Mingi was the only one who was already a pirate. Maybe he wasn't a very successful one, but no pirate was legit.

Perhaps he wanted to take advantage of the Aurora's profits. He had stolen from them before, even if it was nothing of value. By the time he wanted to question him, Mingi was already moving again. The prince decided to go back to work.

But Mingi had nothing to do, he wanted some task.

He looked at the boatswain for a moment, he had this guy crossed. Because of him, he got those wounds, in addition to having to endure the laughter of a certain soldier.

He passed by and went straight to the helm, to the captain.

Although Hongjoong pretended to ignore him, it was clear that he did not like seeing the other there. He told him to rest.

"Oh, captain, anything I can do?"

"Go back to where you were hiding."

"Rude."

Mingi stood next to the captain, trying to look where he was looking. He even bent down to be at his same height, something Hongjoong didn't like.

"You are in no condition to work, and if you have only come to annoy me, I will give your body to the sharks."

"What do you mean I'm not in condition to work?" The taller one sounded offended. "I am perfectly fine."

At that Hongjoong said nothing, just took advantage of the other being close to elbow him. The blow went straight to the other's wound, causing Mingi to bend over and put a hand to his stomach. He just dropped inaudible murmurs, probably cursing the captain.

But the captain laughed, it was clear that he was right.

"I will not repeat it, Mingi. Go to rest."

"Alright."

Mingi was clearly outraged. Instead of going back to the crew cabin, he took a couple of steps away from the captain and sat on the ground. He wasn't just going to fall asleep while being taken to God knows where. He was hoping that calling it monster island was for some other reason than literal monsters.

But monsters shouldn't be his biggest concern right now.

Normally Hongjoong would have loved to have a new man wanting to work, but he wasn't having a great day to be opposed.

At least he could make sure that the other was really used to sailing, he had not lied about that. Despite the sudden movements of the ship, he walked easily on deck.

Oh, true.

It was not until then that he realized Yeosang was much better than the first time the ship moved in that way, but it was impossible that his body had already become accustomed.

He was probably forcing himself.

He looked at the prince for a moment, proud of the effort he was making, but then ...

"And what exactly is monster island?"

Mingi's voice felt like a kick on--

"Doesn't the name suggest anything to you?" The captain replied in a tired tone.

"A monstrous island? Is it very large? I hope that's it.”

"Are you afraid of beasts, pirate?"

Luckily, that managed to silence Mingi, so he returned to focus on navigation. The truth was that he had no idea of the type of beasts that were on that island, perhaps they were just very large animals. He chose to call them monsters to mentalize himself for the worst possible.

He wasn't really scared, unlike the one behind him.

Mingi got back to his feet, as the captain had only made him nervous. He took a quick look at the crew again, at those who had welcomed him on his precious ship. He was going to be part of it, for him it was a clear advantage to have strong allies.

But what did Mingi's presence mean to the Aurora pirates?

* * *

"Are you sure they have taken this route, soldier?"

His superior's voice managed to get Yunho out of his thoughts. Navigating with the army was boring if you didn't have a remarkable range, so he used to be more focused on other things.

When he saw the man's gaze fixed on him, he nodded.

"My intuition tells me, and my intuition has never failed."

"Right. I heard that story."

At that time, the soldier was in an army ship that was not his, with companions he did not know and a superior who had just been promoted. After all, someone had to replace the one who was killed by the captain of the Aurora.

The White Army had decided to send expendable men to hunt down minor pirates, that mission really didn't matter too much to high officials.

As his superior walked away, Yunho let out a sigh and started to move as well. He had nothing to do but watch, so no one would notice if he ran away for a moment. He went to the part of the deck where some of the soldiers were resting, including one who stood out.

Well, he really wasn't a soldier.

He was lying on the ground without any shame, probably dirtying the white uniform he was wearing. There was something peculiar about said uniform, the details that used to be blue had a purple hue.

That meant that he belonged to one of the Army's special units, specifically the Beast Killers.

This team was dedicated to freeing people from fearsome monsters that tormented them, from fearsome and ferocious beasts to simple magical beings who sought to survive.

But there was only one of them on that ship, the team doctor.

This was due to the course Yunho recommended, they couldn’t simply sacrifice their men in a land full of monsters without taking a specialist in the subject.

The soldier walked over to that guy and sat next to him, not quite sure if he was awake or not.

"I'm here because of you. You know that, right? ” Yeah, it turned out he was awake.

Yunho couldn't help but laugh a little upon hearing that, the other one sounded really tired and bored.

"I'm just trying to do my job, Hyungwon."

"These people listen to your intuition as if it were gold." Saying that, he sat up. “Have you ever told them that your luck always takes you to the same place? Perhaps the Aurora isn't even close.”

As soon as he sat down he could be seen better, especially the tired expression. He had brown hair, except for the bangs that were a golden hue.

Seeing that Yunho didn’t respond, he just kept talking.

“How many times have you caught him? No no." The doctor shook his head a little. "How many times have you let him escape?"

"I don't think you’re the one to ask that, mate." The soldier raised an eyebrow, looking at the other.

Hyungwon only fell silent for a couple of seconds, then turning his gaze to the numerous soldiers who ran from side to side in front of the two of them. The doctor was not used to working with these people, much less with soldiers of such low rank. He would probably have to do all the work himself if they ran into real monsters.

"I hope this is quick."

* * *

Hours had passed since the Aurora left the Landfill, hours that the captain suffered listening to the stupid that he, himself, brought to the ship.

"And the hair is for something or you’re just lazy to cut it? I can handle it with a sword.”

"Holy shit, Mingi." Hongjoong said, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "You know what? Do you want some job? Take the damn helm.”

"Wait. What?"

"That's an order. You got me sick, I need a fucking break.”

That said, the captain simply left, causing a sore Mingi to spring to his feet to take the helm. Had he really left that to him? He was not even clear on the course, so the first thing he did was try to get the attention of a colleague.

It was Seonghwa who saw that, as well as the captain sneaking into his cabin without giving any explanation.

"You two!" He yelled at Yeosang and Jongho. "Show what you’ve learned!"

He then looked at Wooyoung, whose seriousness seemed to have calmed down as the day passed. The boatswain only shrugged after seeing the situation, but ended up nodding. He was going to have to keep an eye on the three new ones to handle the boat, what a chore.

But the blonde needed to see how the captain was doing.

Unaware of the consequences of his decision, Hongjoong had ducked into the cabin in hopes of being able to breathe a little. First they had killed him, then he had found out what the lieutenant did and, to finish to jinx it, Mingi had been talking shit to him for hours.

It was clear that the other was just bored and wanted to help, but teasing the captain to get it was not the best method. He should have left him lying in that stupid warehouse.

But he didn’t.

How was he going to kick him out after how much he had teased Seonghwa for taking in the rest of the kids?

Mingi was not that bad, just a bit disrespectful and rowdy. Surely everything would improve when Hongjoong could get rid of that horrible feeling that invaded him. A break... No. What he needed was not a break. He needed to let off steam, let go of everything.

Realizing it, he reached for what was closest to him, a fancy glass that had somehow managed to stay on the table despite the movements of the ship. How long had it been there? He remembered that he stole it from the palace when he went after Yeosang, perhaps it was too expensive to just break it.

While he was deciding on that the door opened, as soon as the lieutenant entered through it Hongjoong threw that glass without thinking twice. The glass broke into a thousand pieces when it hit the wall right next to that door.

Clearly that scared the blonde, but at least it didn't hit him.

"YOU MADE A FUCKING STRANGE MAGIC PACT WITHOUT CONSULTING ME!"

Once again that door was slammed, after which Seonghwa closed his eyes for a moment to try to calm down.

It didn't work.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CONSULT IT TO YOU IF YOU WERE DEAD?!"

"MAYBE I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO STAY DEAD!" Saying that, Hongjoong started to go from one side of the room to the other. "WHAT DID YOU GIVE IN EXCHANGE?! MY FUCKING SOUL?! MY BODY AS A SACRIFICE TO AN EVIL RITE?! ”

"YOU ARE EXAGGERATING!"

Then Joong fell silent. Exaggerated, he called him exaggerated. It was him the one who had died and awakened numerous times, the other had no right to speak to him that way. Even less without answering what he had asked.

He took a deep breath and looked up at the wall, trying to stop screaming.

"Did you intend to keep it from me forever?"

Seonghwa also took a second to calm down, taking a few steps to reach that table and lean on it.

He knew perfectly well that the other's concern was normal, but he had never been clear on how to approach such an important issue. He screwed it up.

"I was looking for the best way to tell you."

"The best way to tell me was when I woke up the first time, don't you think?" Despite lowering the volume in his voice, he still sounded more than pissed off. "Can I at least know what did you the favor?"

At this the captain looked at the blonde, waiting for an answer. However the other just looked at him back.

... No, he wasn't looking at him, he was looking at something he was carrying with him.

At that time Hongjoong understood it, both that situation and one of days before. He brought his hand to what he was wearing under his shirt, to that pendant that the other stole for him. That was why he was attracted to it, why the other did not hesitate to take it.

The Trickster.

Of all the sea gods, he was known to be unpredictable. That only made Hongjoong's fear worse, but the other didn't seem to want to respond. How valuable was the coin he gave in exchange for his life?

No. Maybe that wasn't the problem, maybe the other one hadn't sold him in any way. It was then that he thought about it.

In all that time Hongjoong did his best to serve as captain, to care for his crew. However it was the blonde who had always taken care of him.

"What have you done, Seonghwa?"

Then he began to approach the other, aware that he would not have an answer yet. However, the lieutenant's gaze made it clear to him, his idea was right. The blonde had offered something of himself in exchange for Hongjoong's life.

The captain could see it perfectly, that feeling was returning. He was pissed off at the other, but he understood his motives as well. He was frustrated, overwhelmed.

Finally he found himself facing the other, resting his hands on the table with a thump, each one on one side of the blond's body.

Finally he looked into his eyes.

"What do I do with you now?"

That question was the only one of all the captain's words that did not sound full of rage. Seonghwa was unable to tear his gaze away from Hongjoong's, even being aware that the other was thinking of his punishment.

He was alarmingly close. That made him feel strange, it was not clear if it was fear for what he could do to him or something else.

Uh, oh. It was definitely something else.

He was unable to say anything, but at some point the other's gaze changed as if he had noticed that. He didn't say anything either, but after a couple of seconds of awkward silence Hongjoong sighed, forming a small smile with it. But it was not a happy smile, rather it was full of confusion.

"I really don't know what to do with you."

As if hoping that this would dispel all his doubts, the captain leaned down to the lips of the other to kiss him. The blonde corresponded to the moment, as if he had been waiting a long time for that, also leaning forward a little so that the other was more comfortable.

When that was over, the blonde kept his eyes closed, not knowing what to do. Oh, Hongjoong understood that well. He hadn't solved any of his doubts, he'd just created more. How was he going to punish someone for bringing him back to life? How could he get revenge on the blonde for hiding that from him if every time he saw him his mind filled with questions?

Hm... Would those scars still be on each other's back? He hadn't been able to see them, maybe he could touch them.

"I don't know if it's the best time..."

Those words were the lieutenant's reaction when the other put his hand under that black shirt, trying to reach the blonde's back. Despite the comment, the other did not move away, and certainly it wouldn’t be Hongjoong who did. Gods, how long had he been waiting for that.

"It isn’t the best time?" The captain laughed a little. "What do you think I'm doing?"

Nothing, he didn't notice anything on the other's back. Had those marks already disappeared? Sad.

"Or maybe it is time. Of course it's time, dammit.”

* * *

"They haven't argued in a while."

Yeosang said, informing the one next to him. Wooyoung was not stupid, they had left him in command of the three new ones and he wanted to know why, he wanted to know how the fight of his two companions was going. For this reason, he had decided to exploit Yeosang's newly discovered talent, although the prince's ear was not enough to listen to a conversation behind closed doors when the others lowered their voices. He could only hear well when they turned up the volume.

"Maybe they are just talking."

"You're kidding? You've heard Seonghwa slam that door. ”

The boatswain wanted to know if the situation was getting better or if he was going to get a promotion as the new lieutenant, so he was frustrated that the other one didn’t have information.

The truth was that he expected the first, despite the fact that he was also pissed off by the discovery. He didn't want to get rid of Seonghwa, of course.

But there was no news, the prince said nothing.

After a while in silence Wooyoung sighed, ready to go back to work. But just as he took a couple of steps away Yeosang reacted again.

"Oh."

"Oh?" The silver-haired one asked, more than intrigued.

"They are fighting? I think this is serious.”

This worried the boatswain, who began to consider intervening in the discussion. However that would only bring trouble for him too, he shouldn't get into his captain's affairs.

A decision he was pleased with when Yeosang's face began to turn completely red.

"They are not fighting." The prince corrected himself.

Wooyoung took a moment to react, as he did not expect that. Once he processed it, the first thing he saw was Yeosang going back to work. The prince began to make an exaggerated noise in everything he did, as if he wanted to stop listening to what was happening inside that cabin.

"Are you serious?" Wooyoung was trying his best to hold back a laugh. "They won’t have dared to..."

Out of sheer curiosity, he went to that door and put his ear close, wanted to confirm that.

Oh, boy.

At least the captain was going to let off steam, although not as the rest expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'm sorry Yeosang, I couldn't protect you."  
> -Cryptid Reader.
> 
> "Egg."  
> -Alpha Reader.


	13. Chapter 13

Finally the captain’s cabin door opened and a confused Seonghwa came out of it. He closed the door softly, something unexpected after the numerous slamming of moments before. 

It didn’t avoid everyone’s attention, but luckily they were working so glances didn’t go to him for more than a few seconds. He hoped that they hadn’t found out what happened behind that door. Oh, well. He was okay with the discussion and all the more chill stuff at the end, but not what happened between those things.

However one of them did allow himself the luxury of walking away from his work to go to the lieutenant, Wooyoung seemed to have calmed his anger with the blonde.

Was he going to finally speak well to him? Maybe ask him for more explanations?

When he was close enough, he put a hand on Seonghwa's shoulder.

"Congrats on the sex."

He said that and skipped past him to go back to work, but the sentence was enough for Seonghwa to get stuck on it.

Oh, definitely everyone knew it.

He felt the shame invade him completely, fearing the worst. How much of all had they heard? How exposed was Seonghwa at the time?

No, no. He couldn't be overcomed by that. He looked around, everyone was working fine. He wasn't going to stand there thinking how loud he would have been without realizing it, he had to help.

For that reason he went to the helm, where Mingi and Yeosang were. Apparently the prince was learning from the other, he knew well how to do it.

Everything would be easier if the blond took care of it, after all it was his job until the captain returned.

He approached them willing to see how the taller one was doing first, but Yeosang's automatic reaction wasn’t something he expected.

"For something that wasn't my business you made me hear all of it."

How could that boy be so careful and so savage at the same time? At times like that Seonghwa wondered if he should have listened to Wooyoung and sold him.

The lieutenant took a deep breath, trying to contain the embarrassment that kept increasing, but Mingi's laughter was not helping.

He chose to ignore the prince and speak directly to the other.

"Why are you at the helm? You didn't even know the course we are following."

"I irritated the captain enough to make him leave, I guess."

"So this is your fault." The blonde sighed, but at least it seemed like the other one was doing a good job.

"The merit is still yours, lieutenant." The captain's voice rang out behind them.

When had he arrived? Hongjoong managed to scare the three of them.

He was approaching them at a leisurely pace, clearly calmer than when he had burst before. However not calm enough.

"I'm still pissed off at you."

Saying that, the captain gestured for Mingi to move away, ready to regain his position at the helm.

For his part, Seonghwa's expression showed a clear indignation. Was he still pissed off? For how long would the blonde have to stand the other’s tantrum? The captain was gonna be irritating for days, the lieutenant knew that.

The blonde just walked away to return to his job as well, mainly to avoid arguing with him again.

He was frustrated, at that moment he wanted to throw Hongjoong overboard. But he was also aware that his anger would not last long.

It didn't take long for him to come to a decision; if he couldn't regain the captain's confidence he was going to rebuild it from scratch, he wasn't going to lose him. Even if he was being a fucking asshole.

* * *

"LAND IN SIGHT!"

For once Wooyoung's screams managed to cheer the entire crew up. They had been at sea for days now and all of them needed to rest a little, they needed to put their feet on the ground and organize their unfinished business. Yeosang would continue training, the captain could check the ship, Wooyoung could... do Wooyoung things, nobody was very clear about what he did in his spare time.

Also, they REALLY wanted to get away from each other. Too many people joined the Aurora and they got no time to get used to it. They needed a rest from their companions.

The point was that they finally reached the monster island.

It was a large island, even from afar you could see the lush tropical forest that almost invaded it. Who knew what creatures were among those trees?

Fortunately, the pirates' plan was to stay on the beach.

As usual they looked for a discreet place to anchor the ship, as close as possible to land so they didn’t have to take the boats out.

While Seonghwa made sure the rope ladder would let them climb back, something resounded on the sea.

Wooyoung had caught several ropes and jumped straight into the water, ready to secure them ashore.

As his body sank into the sea he felt a rush of freshness, as if for a moment all tension had vanished.

Of course that didn't last long, it was over as soon as he got out of the water and saw the captain judging him from above.

"I'm on it!"

After shouting that, the boatswain went to the beach looking for a good place to secure the strong ropes that came from the Aurora.

It was a process they used to carry out, the silver haired did that and the others went down those ropes. He had become used to soaking up every time they reached an island without a port.

Once he did his job he used to go exploring, take a tour of the island and enjoy himself. However, he only got to take a look at that forest and a chill ran through his entire body.

What kind of creatures were there on that island for humanity to avoid it? It wasn’t easy to stop an invasive species like humans.

He was curious but valued his own life enough.

"I could take a quick look." He muttered to himself.

He began to walk towards it, at a calm pace and without taking his eyes off those trees. He almost seemed mesmerized by the lush forest.

When he got closer he could see plants he didn't know, flowers that probably only grew on those abandoned islands. The blue and violet colors of these gave a mystical air to the entire forest.

A couple more steps, nothing would happen to him for getting a few more steps closer.

The voices of his companions sounded behind him, they were calling him. However, the boatswain did not turn around, he needed to know more about that place.

"It’s beautiful."

His footsteps stopped sounding like sand, began to sound like vegetation and branches breaking. He was entering the forest.

"Oh."

Finally he saw something move.

It didn't seem dangerous, it was just butterflies that hovered over those peculiar flowers. They were the same blue color as the plants, probably to camouflage themselves in them.

He couldn't help but reach out and one of those insects started to approach him.

"Wooyoung."

Jongho's voice made the boatswain scream, he wasn't expecting it at all.

The blacksmith was right behind him with his arms crossed, clearly surprised that the other didn’t respond when they called him.

"Why do you have to scare me like this?!"

"I wouldn't have scared you if you listened to us, huh."

It was then that Wooyoung realized how far he had inadvertently strayed from the beach. He looked back at those butterflies, which were getting further and further away from them.

It almost seemed that they had approached in search of something, something that the silver haired one did not have.

"Hurry up, we have chores to deal with!" The captain exclaimed from the beach.

Both reacted to this, beginning to turn towards the Aurora.

Although it wasn't really necessary, in the end it would be Hongjoong who decided what each one did.

Upon arriving with the rest Wooyoung realized the only one who hadn't gotten off the ship was Mingi.

"Where's the lanky one?"

"I don't want his wound to open further." The captain clarified. "He will work from the ship."

"Oh, so there is work for him too." Yeosang said. The prince was still suspicious of the other, of course.

"You’ll be his work, honey."

"Wait, what? I will be what?"

"He's going to help you with the sword, so you'll have more than one point of view about it."

After the last words from the captain there was silence. It was clear that everyone had questions.

The first to speak was the boatswain who was clearly beginning to get more serious.

"I thought we stopped here for Seonghwa to teach him." Wooyoung said. "What will he do then?"

"My favorite homework on the list. You're welcome." Then Hongjoong turned to look at the blonde. "I can't be the only one who wants to taste monster meat, so I've reserved this task for one of my most skilled men."

"Now you want to kill me?" The lieutenant's complaint was automatic. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

However Hongjoong did not reply, just directed his gaze at the blonde.

Once again the prince and the blacksmith saw the atmosphere tense up, and Wooyoung didn't seem very happy with that decision either.

It was not difficult to notice how Seonghwa's bad mood returned to his face. Oh, how hard he was trying not to run his tongue.

Finally he brought a hand to that peculiar sword that he always carried with him, but he did not unsheathe it.

"Yes my captain."

He did not wait for an answer, the blond simply took hold of the handle of that sword and began to walk towards the strange forest.

Hongjoong had sent him to hunt some fucking beasts they hadn't even seen. Maybe he was sending him to death. Was he going to punish him this much for hiding his pact? Had the little captain accumulated so much hatred?

It was a while before Seonghwa heard voices again, they probably resumed that conversation after an awkward silence. Wooyoung sounded remarkably pissed off, at least the blonde wasn't the only one upset with that.

The blonde didn’t care at the time.

"You're welcome!" Seonghwa said to himself imitating the captain's tone moments before. "If he wants monster meat he should..."

Suddenly something distracted the blonde, his complaints and murmurs fell silent as he began to enter the lush forest of the island. He barely recognized a couple of the plants around him, not to mention the insects that haunted them.

Those blue butterflies fluttered near the lieutenant, they seemed nervous for his presence.

"I won’t hurt you." He said while smiling slightly.

He himself realized how strange that was, suddenly his bad mood was replaced by a strange feeling. He didn't quite know how to define it, but at least it was positive.

He certainly needed positive feelings at the time.

He kept going with ease, any branch or plant that bothered him could be cut quickly.

The place really was beautiful, he wouldn't mind spending a few days anchored there.

"Oh, what do you eat?"

He asked for those blue insects, the butterflies became more numerous as he went along. Perhaps the plant they fed on grew close to where Seonghwa was.

"How glad I am that the army is not coming here, they would destroy all of this."

He murmured before pausing for a moment.

He had been following those butterflies, more to enjoy the scenery than to find a beast for the captain's dinner. He had focused so much on them that he didn't know which way he had gone.

He looked up, maybe the sky would help him orient himself... if it wasn't completely covered by vegetation.

"Oh great."

As he said that, he smacked his leg with his hand, a simple and indignant gesture that echoed around him. What kind of strange acoustics did that forest have?

He looked back in the direction he had come from, or at least the way he thought he had come from. He only saw trees and more trees, no trace of light from the sky or the beach.

He didn’t even hear the waves breaking on the shore, only the silence of the forest and the fluttering of butterflies accompanied him.

For god's sake, where did so many butterflies come from?

At that point he was curious, so he kept moving forward. He didn’t want to return to the Aurora without what the captain had asked him, no matter how disdainful the work was.

Swoosh, swoosh. The leaves kept falling as the lieutenant cut them with the sword.

Finally one of the makeshift openings showed him something new.

The trees seemed to leave a small clearing in the middle of the lush forest, that was good news for someone who needed to see the sky. However, the attitude of those blue insects caught his attention.

It seemed to be the place where the plant they fed on was, since the number of butterflies was absurdly high.

It stopped being pretty, it became overwhelming for Seonghwa.

"What do you like so much...?"

He took a few steps to enter the clearing, looking around for a plant that caught his attention. He was looking for some large and striking flower, it took him a long time to realize that no plant fed those butterflies.

A strange noise made him realize it, a strong breath that practically sounded next to him.

Oh.

It was down to where he should look.

He hadn't noticed because of the number of those blue butterflies that kept him from seeing clearly, but once he saw the black silhouette he couldn't look away. Was it an animal? Something slept on the clearing floor.

"What are you?" The blonde muttered.

At first he didn’t give it much importance, it was probably just a sleeping animal. Although they were in a place called Monster Island, he had to be careful. He thought about killing the creature before it woke up, picking it up and taking it to Hongjoong, it seemed like a good option that would prevent him from fighting with worse beasts.

However, he was only able to approach a couple of steps when the creature in front of him began to move.

It was getting up.

* * *

"I don't think it's my business, but..."

Jongho's voice sounded calm, relaxed. He had been helping the captain with the overhaul of the ship for a while, they had to make sure that the Landfill's sharp rocks hadn’t caused serious damage.

"It doesn't seem like you're managing this very well."

Hearing that, Hongjoong directed his gaze towards the blacksmith. He almost complained, telling him not to get into his affairs. However, he knew that the other was right, and after all, it was Jongho.

Probably the youngest of all was the most sensible on the ship.

"For how long has he been lying to me? Maybe this isn’t the only secret he keeps."

"You sent him to die."

"He won’t die." He sounded clearly outraged. He didn't want to kill Seonghwa, just bother him. "He’s skilled. He’ll return."

"And if he doesn’t?"

Oh no.

What if he didn't come back? What if the blonde died thinking he hated him? Hongjoong glanced towards the lush forest, momentarily considering searching for the other.

He did this to him after what was his greatest romantic advancement with the other. An advance he destroyed, surely.

He had to fix it, he couldn't let the other one die.

However, he turned his gaze back to the Aurora.

"He’ll come back." He muttered to himself, taking a hand to that pendant under his shirt. "When he returns his punishment will be over. We will enjoy dinner together."

"I hope so."

Jongho's voice only made the captain more nervous.

Definitely, when the other came back he was going to talk to him. He was going to tell him everything he had dragged.

Even if Seonghwa didn't want to open up back.

He owed it to him.

A long time passed but there was no more conversation, just random comments about the ship, tools, all of that.

But suddenly a voice broke the silence, and to Hongjoong's grief it was not the lieutenant's.

"THEY FOUND US!"

Mingi shouted that with all the voice he had.

"Are you kidding?"

The blacksmith stood up and turned his gaze to the sea. A White Army ship was approaching, how had they found them? He looked around, probably soldiers had been sent to explore the island before approaching.

But he didn't see any. They must have returned to the ship some time ago. How could they not have noticed?

"We’ll have to fight." The captain said decidedly.

"We are five men alone." The boatswain spoke. "And the enemy ship is better armed."

"Damn Wooyoung!" The other almost caused a heart attack for the captain. "For how long have you been here?!"

However, Jongho did not seem surprised, as if he had heard the silver haired one arrive.

"WE NEED TO LEAVE!" Once again, Mingi.

"How long can we hold on?"

The captain looked at his boatswain. He sounded clearly concerned.

Even Wooyoung was surprised by that tone. However, he only replied, he understood perfectly what the captain wanted.

And Wooyoung didn't want to leave Seonghwa behind either.

"I doubt we’ll last long. We are clearly at a disadvantage." He looked up for a moment, toward the ship. "Maybe our cannons can give us time, but we risk the crew."

"Shit." Hongjoong was clearly becoming nervous. "Shit, shit, shit."

He looked back at that forest.

No one appeared, no one returned to the Aurora.

He really screwed it up.

"GET READY TO LEAVE!" He exclaimed at last, very reluctantly.

He couldn’t sacrifice all his men to wait for just one.

He had to act like a captain, despite the price to pay.

Seonghwa was really going to hate him after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'm boo boo the fool"  
>  \- Captain Kim Hongjoong.


	14. Chapter 14

Swoosh! Plof! Pum!

The noise of the fight invaded the forest.

"But what are you?!"

Seonghwa's scream sounded muffled, aching.

The blonde was running looking for some space, he needed a place where he could fight well. However it was being difficult to be faster than the huge beast that was chasing him.

At first glance it might look like a feline, only three times bigger than a normal one and covered in scales. It was coal black and those cold blue eyes kept its gaze on the pirate.

The sharp fangs were going to appear in the blond's nightmares for a long time, if that beast caught him it could break him to pieces without problems.

He hadn't even been able to stand up to it yet.

"Think!" He screamed to himself as he ran. "You have to do something!"

But nothing occurred to him, his mind was being invaded by the roars of that beast.

He didn’t get anywhere, he didn’t see the beach and much less his companions, there were only trees and more trees. Oh, and butterflies. The blissful butterflies followed that monster. What attracted the insects?

Finally Seonghwa's bad luck made an appearance.

"OH FUCK!"

Apparently some plants in the place had thorns that hooked on the travelers' clothes, which the blonde discovered when he was already falling to the ground.

With that blow, not only did he felt the thorns digging into his skin, he also felt each stone and branch of the ground against his body.

He had no time to resent, he had to react. He turned quickly to look up, there was no time to stand up.

The beast pounced on him.

By pure reflex he raised his sword to put it between himself and the monster, but ended up closing his eyes to wait for the pain.

He noticed the creature near him, felt his weapon sink into it.

The sword was insignificant in the magnitude of the beast, but for some reason that stab made it back off. The lieutenant opened his eyes when he noticed that, perhaps he would have time to stand up and keep running.

Or maybe he could even fight it.

He got up and took a fighting stance, ready to face the beast as soon as it attacked him again. The creature was angered by that blow, of course, its blue gaze was riveted on the lieutenant.

He picked up momentum and prepared to launch the attack again.

However something prevented it.

Luckily Seonghwa moved away when he saw that areas of the ground were moving, he managed to avoid a death from his nightmares. Out of nowhere a huge monster emerged from the ground.

The blonde couldn't tell if it looked more like a snake or a huge red-headed white worm, he just knew it was giant and terrifying. His mouth looked like a whirlwind of sharp fangs.

It appeared just below that other creature, tearing it apart and consuming it in an instant before hiding again underground.

Suddenly there was silence.

In front of the blond was a huge hole in the earth, soaked with blood, but both monsters disappeared.

He had been running away from one of the smallest creatures in the place, apparently.

He was petrified. He felt his own heartbeat as if it were in his hand. What was he going to do? Oh, he was going to go back to that beach and give Hongjoong a nice smack on his pretty face. How could he even think of sending him to this hell?

"I need to get out of here."

That was the first thing he managed to pronounce before he dropped to his knees on the floor. He didn't give a shit about the plan, the route, or what the rest wanted to do. He wasn't going to stay on that island knowing what kind of monsters haunted it.

It took him awhile to be able to stand up again to keep moving, but at least he figured out what not to do: follow the butterflies.

He didn’t know what these monsters had to attract them but he didn’t want to discover it either, the only thing that interested him was to return to the beach before one of those creatures devoured him.

* * *

"I THINK WE'RE GETTING IT!" Mingi yelled as he clung to one of the Aurora's ropes. "THEY'RE GIVING UP!"

"ABOUT TIME!" Wooyoung's answer was full of rage, even his voice sounded full of ups and downs. "HOW MUCH TIME HAVE WE BEEN LIKE THIS?!"

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT JONGHO IS DOING A GOOD JOB WITH THE CANNONS!"

"RIGHT?! THIS BOY KNOWS HOW TO DO EVERYTHING! ”

"CAN YOU LEAVE THE CONVERSATION FOR WHEN WE ARE SAFE?!" Hongjoong ended up joining the screaming. "FOCUS!"

Although they didn’t lie with that, the blacksmith's shots had managed to leave the army ship very touched. They had been lucky that the enemy decided to retreat, had it taken longer to escape from the island, they would surely have lost that battle.

They had no alternative.

That was what Hongjoong repeated to himself over and over, trying to convince himself that they had no choice.

Suddenly a great tremor made it clear that they were not yet safe, the enemy was still insisting and had managed to hit the Aurora.

"IS EVERYONE OKAY?!" Hongjoong glanced at each of his men quickly to make sure they were still on the ship.

He definitely had to manage to leave the army behind before the Aurora suffered further damage.

* * *

"Waves."

Seonghwa didn't know if he was going in the right direction, but what he did know was that he was listening to the waves. He was managing to get out of that stupid and horrible forest at last. No more monsters or butterflies, the anger of the captain would be child's play next to that worm from hell.

He accelerated his steps without hesitation, but it wasn't long until something filled him with fear once again.

It was the noise of the forest breaking, whole trees splitting as if they were mere branches. The noise was coming toward him at a speed that didn't allow him to react.

It only gave him time to look in the sound’s direction.

Suddenly he was charged by one of those beasts, he was thrown along with the body of the creature. Where did it come from?

Maybe it followed him from the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to attack.

But he felt no fangs or claws against him.

Once on the ground he felt as if a carriage of twenty horses had just passed him, probably due to the fact that the beast was still on him.

The monster was doing nothing to him, it wasn’t moving. Was it…?

“Woah! It almost reached me! Lucky me!”

Oh no.

That voice was familiar.

“It was not your luck, it was me. This thing would have destroyed you had it not been for me.”

That other voice wasn’t.

He had to move and get away from the approaching people. However, he was not able to get out from under the creature.

Finally he saw them, two soldiers in the White Army uniform were approaching him.

"Hey Yunho, we caught a rat." The other dude said as he put on a long black glove again, surely he would have taken it off to fight the monster. "Is it the one we're looking for?"

The young soldier approached the dejected beast and the pirate below it, he wanted to make sure he caught the right person.

"It’s him." Yunho said as he sat down on the ground next to the pirate, aware that he couldn't move. "This hair is unmistakable. He’s the lieutenant of the Aurora."

Seonghwa wanted to complain, he wanted to kick that soldier's ass with all his might. But the weight of the monster made it increasingly difficult for him to even breathe.

He looked at the soldier, trying to figure out what was behind that adorable smile. Every time their paths crossed he felt the same way; his friendly features and gestures couldn’t hide a scheming gaze.

He was more than suspicious for the blonde, and it was strange that a mere soldier had given them so much trouble.

"Hey, Yunho!"

“Huh? Did you find something, doctor?”

The other one shouted that without much effort, but managed to attract the attention of the other two.

He had moved away a little, at that moment he was around the area where the beast had collided with the pirate.

He made a deft gesture with his foot to lift something off the ground.

Oh, Seonghwa's eyes widened when he saw him with his precious sword in hand.

"The rat has dropped something!"

"Oh." Yunho looked at the blonde for a moment, rising to his feet as he noticed his reaction. "He's also unarmed, nice."

However the soldier stayed next to the pirate, he didn’t need to move since the other was going towards him.

Once he was close enough, the doctor offered that weapon to his partner.

"Take him to the beach and wait there."

Yunho picked up the sword with his left hand. That made Seonghwa notice the opposite one, his right hand. It was still covered in a long glove, was it the style of the White Army?

No, that soldier didn’t seem to wear it for aesthetics like his partner.

Wait a second.

Oh no. Not again.

Something moved between those men and approached the soldier's arm, resting on the glove that covered him. One of those blue butterflies.

Seonghwa wanted to believe that it got closer because of the beast.

By the time he turned back to the conversation outside, the guy with the gold bangs was walking away.

"Okay, buddy." Yunho said looking at the pirate. "You better not try to escape when I take that away from you, I have two swords and you neither."

The blond did not answer.

As soon as the soldier was able to push the monster away, Seonghwa took a breath as if he had spent hours underwater.

He could finally breathe well again.

"Finally."

At the pirate's words Yunho laughed, gesturing for him to stand up.

It was then when he noticed that he had several of those butterflies perched on his right arm, he moved it a little to scare them.

However, they soon returned.

The soldier decided to ignore them.

"This won't work out for you." Seonghwa said as he stood up. "I don't know your partner, but we have already beaten you before."

"You have. The difference is that now you are alone."

Few things frustrated Seonghwa more than seeing Yunho point his own sword at him.

"We're going for a walk."

The blonde obeyed without question, something that clearly made Yunho suspicious. However he was going to take advantage of it.

They both walked for a while in that forest, getting closer and closer to the sound of the waves. With each passing moment more of those butterflies approached the soldier. They hovered around him, something that was getting quite annoying for Seonghwa, but more importantly, they only landed on the black-haired man's right arm.

"What do you have in common with those monsters, soldier?"

"Huh?"

Yunho couldn't help but direct his gaze towards those insects again. It couldn’t be a coincidence that they only stopped on that glove, the soldier knew well what attracted them.

"It’s none of your business-"

He didn't take his eyes off the butterflies when the pirate hit him hard on the legs. Yunho was about to fall but managed to save the situation and maintain balance. But making him fall was not Seonghwa's intention, he knew that.

The blond man gave a second blow to the soldier's left arm, hoping to make him drop the sword but had no luck, his enemy was gripping the weapon tightly.

He was about to give a third blow but Yunho's hand was faster, managing to grab his arm in time.

"Nice try."

A jerk from the huge soldier was enough to knock Seonghwa to the ground.

Fuck.

The pirate got to his feet as fast as he could and ran toward the beach. 

There wasn't anything for him to use as a weapon, only weak branches, plants and sand. He wasn't going to be able to win by going unarmed, he needed reinforcements. 

He felt the soldier go after him, he hoped he was on the right side of the beach. He wanted to see the Aurora, he needed to see the ship in front of him.

Finally he saw the end of that forest.

However, no one was waiting for him on the other side of the trees.

Was he in the wrong area? He was sure the Aurora should be there, but there was only the sand, the sea, and a few rocks.

Little could he stop to think or look around, he suddenly heard the soldier behind him again.

How was he going to win that? He had to find a way to get his sword back and defeat Yunho before that other guy came back with more soldiers.

The theory was easy, he just had to win and find his companions before the army found him.

However the practice was going to be much more difficult.

Yunho was approaching the blonde at a remarkably calm pace.

The first thing he did was remove the white jacket from his uniform and throw it on the ground, on the beach sand.

This allowed Seonghwa to see the glove hided the other’s entire arm, or at least as far as the opponent's black shirt covered.

"What did you think running would serve you, pirate?" Yunho didn't sound annoyed, rather tired from having to go after the other. "You are alone."

"You too." The blonde said as he took a more defensive position.

Yunho then launched into the attack, his own sword sheathed as he tried to reach the pirate with the weapon he had seized.

Seonghwa was able to dodge that, so the soldier tried to hit him with his free hand. The blonde did receive that second blow but managed to grab the arm of his enemy.

Once again he tried to retrieve his sword but Yunho pulled away in time.

He wriggled out of his grip, but even if the soldier got away the pirate kept that long black glove in his hand.

The enemy needed a few seconds to realize his right arm wasn’t covered anymore. Said arm was full of scars, something he clearly didn’t want to see.

Oh.

"..." Then Yunho started to look pissed off.

Seonghwa recognized well what that glove covered, he understood what each of those scars and marks were.

What the other had on his arm were the remains of what the church called ‘purification’, a ritual that was performed on those who were reached by the Masked Spirits.

If the other was still in the White Army, the ritual must have worked.

Otherwise he would be dead.

"The monsters on this island are possessed." The lieutenant muttered as soon as he processed the information. "Does that attract the butterflies?"

"We are both alone, hm..." Yunho seemed to ignore that, as if he didn't want to think about it. “But there’s a difference, a very important one. My team will come back for me.”

Then the soldier drew his own sword to take it with his right. Two swords against someone unarmed, fair game.

He advanced on the pirate. Somehow Seonghwa's body was slow to react to that, as if something caught him. Perhaps it was the new information, perhaps he feared someone who had survived the purification.

The first thing he could do was go back awkwardly, the soldier didn’t have a hard time knocking him down.

There was the Aurora lieutenant, trying to get away without getting to his feet, at least until his back collided with one of those rocks. He looked around for a moment, expecting to see his ship in one of the directions.

However he looked back at Yunho when he noticed his own sword millimeters from his neck.

"You have two options." Said the soldier. "You try to get up again and die. Or you stand still and die, only a few days later. What do you choose?"

Oh, there really wasn't much to decide. His body was unresponsive, it felt like he had suddenly given up on exhaustion.

He finally looked Yunho in the eyes and took a deep breath. Before he could give the soldier an answer, a beautiful and deep voice echoed in his head, but it wasn’t his own.

_ You're screwed, ha! _

* * *

"Oxpass?" Mingi's voice was full of concern. "What are we going to Oxpass for? That city is a nightmare for pirates.”

"No idea. That's up to the captain.” Jongho replied, pointing for a moment to the captain.

There was Hongjoong, staring out to the sea. They managed to escape, the atmosphere of the ship was much calmer. However something was missing.

Oh, what was he going to do?

All the men on the ship seemed to be ignoring what happened, or rather had not yet stopped to think about it.

Finally the captain moved to approach his crew. No one said anything, they just looked for a moment and went on with their business. At least it was like this until he approached the boatswain, who was cleaning his weapons.

Wooyoung was sitting on the ground with one of his knives in hand, but his gaze was fixed on the captain.

He said nothing, just waited for the captain to do so.

"I didn't want this." Hongjoong started, putting a hand to the nape of his neck. "I didn't want any of this, it got out of hand."

"I know that."

The boatswain's response surprised the captain. He did not expect the other to be so understanding, much less with a knife in his hand.

However, Wooyoung kept talking.

"I know you didn't want this, but it was still your fault." Then he looked back at the weapon to continue cleaning it. "Seonghwa has been left behind because of you."

Of course Hongjoong didn’t know what to answer. There was no correct answer, actually. He had screwed it up and didn't know how to fix it. What was he going to say to someone who was so attached to the lieutenant?

"We will come back for him." The captain nodded a few times after saying that. "Once we get off Oxpass I will come back for him, I promise."

"He better stay alive until then."

He wasn't going to be able to speak to Wooyoung properly for a while. And rightly so.

It wasn’t a secret that the boatswain preferred Seonghwa over the captain, and Hongjoong just made both of them lose him.

He turned around, had to go back to his job and get the crew up and running again. They had to get to Oxpass, do their business, and get back to that damn island.

The blonde probably hated him, he probably wouldn't want to see him again after being such a jerk, but at least he was gonna get him out of there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading the fic, every hit, kudo and comment makes me really happy!   
> Things are starting to be more difficult for the pirates, uh? 
> 
> As always, remember I post some comments, memes, updates and art of my fics on my twitter @_JinHit!


	15. Chapter 15

The journey was long, Yeosang and the captain were enjoying a well-deserved rest. The atmosphere between the two of them was much more relaxed than outside, so they were simply eating in peace.

Was the prince was the least affected by what happened on that island? Probably.

It was true that he had grown fond of Seonghwa in the time he had been there, but they were pirates after all.

Whoever stayed behind was left behind. There was no fellowship, there was no bond or code of honor among those cruel criminals.

Or at least it was what they taught him at the palace.

"So... Are we doing the cool thing?"

"What?"

Yeosang's question caught the captain off guard.

"You know. The laugh thing."

Oh. That cool thing.

It was true, they did it when they went after the prince to Ethia.

"We don't want to attract attention." The captain said between bites. "We do that when we need to intimidate, when we want people to know that we are there."

"Oh..."

He seemed disappointed, no doubt.

Hongjoong laughed a little, even if it wasn't the laugh the other wanted.

"The time will come, don't worry about it."

Then the captain stood up and walked away from the prince. He finished his meal and was ready to enjoy the rest time he had left.

Sleep, sleeping was what he needed the most.

He had too much to think about, oh hell he did, but he knew that going through Oxpass would give him work.

Oh, he still hadn't explained to the rest what was the job they would do there.

There was still time. He would do it when he woke up.

He got into his cabin and went straight to what he called a bed. It was time to use the best of his talents, his ability to sleep.

* * *

"Joong?"

Hm? What was that?

"Joong, wake up."

That voice… Could it be…?

How long did he sleep? The captain felt that his body did not want to wake up, but they were calling him. He wanted to respond to that voice, the voice of a good friend.

"Come on, Joong. I'll leave if you don't wake up."

'No, wait.' Hongjoong really wanted to answer. He wanted to see the one talking. He needed to see him.

He heard the footsteps of the other move away from him, he was leaving.

Finally the captain was able to react, he was able to open his eyes to find who had awakened him.

His vision was blurred but still he could see the blonde figure coming out of his cabin door.

"Wait...!" He was finally able to speak. "Wait for me!"

"Oh, did you wait for me when I needed it?" The blonde laughed a little as he walked away.

Hongjoong got up ready to follow him. Why couldn't he see clearly? He wasn't dizzy, much less drunk.

He went straight to the cabin door and opened it, hoping that the person he was looking for was waiting on the other side.

But it wasn’t so.

He stepped out onto the deck and looked around.

He saw no one, not even the rest of the crew. Was he alone? Despite this, the ship continued to move normally.

Then he saw him again.

There was the distorted figure, at the helm. He went to him as fast as he could, Hongjoong needed to see the blonde clearly.

However he just laughed again.

"Do you really miss him?"

Him.

Huh?

Hongjoong stopped his steps before reaching the other, confused.

"Who are you?"

"Oh." Suddenly the blonde's voice changed, it wasn't the lieutenant's one anymore. It turned even deeper, but somehow soft and warm. "I asked first."

It took the captain a few seconds to process that. The blonde was looking at him, he knew that, but he didn't see his face clearly.

Then he realized, he had to answer if he wanted the other to do it too.

"I do."

Maybe those words were enough for the mysterious figure, but not for Hongjoong.

"I really do. I need him." His words were full of pain. "I need him to survive and come back, I don't want Seonghwa to disappear from my life."

"What are you willing to do to get him back?"

The captain was about to say 'everything', yeah, but then he remembered.

"No. Now you have to tell me who you are."

"Oh, my captain. You're so curious, aren't you?"

"You're an intruder on my ship."

"Am I? That's not fair."

The other didn’t want to identify himself, it was obvious. So Hongjoong resumed his steps to approach him. He felt like he knew him, but it certainly wasn't Seonghwa.

When he had almost reached him, the stranger smiled and suddenly something changed.

The captain's vision only worsened, but he could see something well. The stranger's blond hair began change, parts of it seemed to defy gravity as if it were fire.

Then the figure was no longer talking, he wasn't moving. But Hongjoong could hear him inside his head.

_ Oh, you know who I am. _

"What? No, I don't know shit! What are you talking about?!"

_ Be patient, captain. _

Captain.

"Captain!"

Suddenly Mingi's voice interrupted. Hongjoong was disoriented at first, of course, but then he realized.

He was still in his cabin.

Had it just been a dream? Obviously it had been a dream, how could it be real?

Wait. Why was Mingi in his cabin?

"Did something happen?" He asked, still half asleep, rising to his feet. "I expect you to have a reason to be here."

"Wooyoung told me to wake you up. We are arriving to Oxpass."

"Wait, wait. What?"

After saying that Hongjoong passed Mingi to leave the cabin. How long had he been immersed in that dream? It should take a whole day to get to... Oh.

Definitely time passed. Yeosang was working again and the stars had risen in the sky. Why had no one warned him when his break was over?

The last one who should be missing was the captain, much less for falling asleep.

"Okay…" he muttered as he tried to remember the plan.

As usual they would avoid the main port of the island, but luckily there was one almost abandoned and much more discreet. No nobleman approached it, and if there was anything on Oxpass, it was nobles.

It was such a rich a city, money was everywhere, that was the good thing.

But the bad thing was that pirates like them would attract a lot of attention.

Uh.

Something knocked the captain out of his thoughts, the noise of something falling to the ground. It came from his cabin.

"Mingi! What have you done?!"

"Nothing!" The other one replied instantly. "Everything's fine!"

Hongjoong just rubbed his eyes a little, tired. He wasn't even going back inside to see what had fallen, at least it didn't seem to break.

"Get out of here, don't touch anything else." He said.

Finally the captain returned to his job, but not before taking a quick look at the crew. The atmosphere was calm, but Wooyoung didn't even glance at him.

Ugh.

Luckily, not much happened until they sighted land. The lush forest surrounding Oxpass failed to cover the tall towers of the city palace.

They went directly to that most remote port, avoiding being sighted by any of the nobles who constantly entered and left the island. Perhaps the place was somewhat abandoned but it was functional.

Wooyoung was the first one to get away from the ship once they had secured it ashore, approaching the only man who seemed to be guarding the port. He was quite sloppy and dirty, a good sign when they wanted to avoid the gaze of the wealthy.

"Are you the owner of the port?" The boatswain asked. "If something happens to the ship..."

“You will tear out my eyes and make me eat them. Something like that?" The man laughed, his laughter startling Wooyoung. "I've heard it many times already."

"Do you usually work for pirates...?"

"The pirates keep me alive! All my money comes from them!”

"Money." Then he looked back at the Aurora. No more than a couple of seconds. "Do you expect us to pay you?"

"Oh no, no. That’s not my business.”

Then the man tried to put a hand on Wooyoung's shoulder, but the pirate pulled away without hesitation. He didn't want that guy to touch him.

The stranger just ignored the gesture.

"I take what the dead left behind." His voice seemed to take on a more serious tone. “Many pirates die at the hands of the lords of Oxpass. I just give a new home to their fortune.”

“You steal from the dead to survive. Fair.”

Wooyoung then turned to go back to the Aurora, something that seemed to displease the man. Clearly he wanted a conversation, he was lonely. But it wasn't the pirate's problem.

He didn't seem to be lying about it, but someone would still be on the ship to keep an eye on it at all times anyways.

He only walked a few meters away before that strange individual spoke again.

"Wait!"

Hearing the man, the silver-haired one turned, curious. The stranger rummaged in his bag, what was he looking for? Finally he took out a couple of papers and approached Wooyoung to offer them to him.

Oh no.

There they were, the face of his captain and his own. It was a search and capture order for each one.

"They brought it this morning, along with the other guy."

"We will not be able to enter without being recognize ..."

Wait a moment. The other guy? It was then that Wooyoung realized that there were only two of those papers. It was normal that the last ones to get on board were not known yet, but someone was still missing.

"Isn't there any more? What about the lieutenant?”

"Why would they look for a dead man?"

Oh, the man couldn't contain his laughter when he saw the look of horror on the pirate's face. It took him a few seconds to get a breath and be able to keep talking.

“Your partner has arrived on a White Army ship. Surely they will execute him tomorrow in the palace.”

"Tomorrow." The boatswain repeated as he tried to calm himself, but then he realized that there was something strange. "In the palace? Why would they execute him in the palace? ”

"You don't know much about this city, do you?"

The man just laughed again. Ugh. Wooyoung couldn't waste any more time with him, he had to inform the rest. Seonghwa was in town and didn't have much time, what were they going to do?

They had to find a way to save his neck.

By the time he reached the Aurora, the rest of the crew was already gathered on deck. They listened calmly to the captain's instructions, none expected Wooyoung's shrill interruption.

"CAPTAIN!"

Hongjoong turned around. More than scared, he was surprised by the other speaking to him again.

"HE’S HERE! SEONGHWA IS HERE!”

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hongjoong asked, not quite sure what they were doing.

At the time he had Yeosang fixing his outfit while Mingi enjoyed the scene. The captain would have to enter the city, he needed to go unnoticed.

The initial plan had completely changed. They had to find a way to rescue Seonghwa before the execution and they had little more than a day, luckily the disaster would happen overnight.

What kind of execution was done in a palace at night?

"What do we do with the hair?"

Yeosang's voice brought the captain out of his thoughts. Oh no, what did they want to do to his hair?

"What's wrong with it?"

"It is too recognizable."

"Hey, lizzard boy." Mingi said that and looked at Jongho. "Give me the cloth you have there."

But there was no reaction. From no one.

The taller one took a while to realize that he had said something he shouldn't have.

"Lizzard boy." Hongjoong repeated, looking at the blacksmith.

Jongho rubbed his eyes with one hand and took a breath. He gave no reply.

But Mingi was confused, he was sure he had seen scales on the other's arm when he broke those bars. He didn’t imagine it.

"Didn't they know...?" Then he put a hand to his mouth, covering it. "You have a horned guy, I thought they would know."

Once again, silence.

Finally Jongho untied that red ribbon from his arm and gave it to the prince without saying anything, he wasn’t going to explain it at that time.

As he did so he showed what was underneath, scant scales clinging to his skin. It wasn't much, but it certainly wasn't normal.

"You know what? We are in a hurry." Yeosang picked up that cloth. "I'm not going to think about that or that you called me 'horned guy’."

By the silence it could be understood that everyone agreed on that. Yeosang picked up the captain's mullet with that red cloth to make a discreet ponytail, something that would attract less attention among the Oxpass people.

“I’m sorry, I…” Mingi started to talk.

“Call me lizzard boy again and I’ll crush your legs.” Jongho responded.

“Holy shit.” Wooyoung added, even if he wasn’t part of the conversation. “I wanna see that.”

“Hey!”

"No one’s crushing Mingi’s legs!" The captain sentenced, he didn't want another stupid discussion about something important that had been kept secret. "Focus!"

"Okay, you're ready."

It was probably the prince's voice that silenced the rest, not the captain's.

He had done everything possible so that Hongjoong could go unnoticed in the big city, although it had not been easy.

He didn't look like a noble, but at least he didn't look like a filthy pirate either.

“What about his name?” Wooyoung asked. “He needs a fake name.”

“You have to sound like a rich boy. Think about a hateful name.”

“Chris.” The captain said.

Wooyoung instantly started laughing, something the rest of the crew didn’t understand. Oh, Chris. That surely was a long story to tell someday.

"Okay, Chris." Yeosang kept talking. "Be careful and have good manners. If you don't come back Wooyoung will be in charge and we don't want that.”

"Hah?!" The boatswain complained.

"I'll come back. And I'll bring a way to get Seonghwa back, don't worry.”

"I could be the captain." Mingi muttered. "I could be better than Hongjoong if you give me the chance."

"Shut up Mingi." The captain said.

Finally Hongjoong took a moment to take a deep breath and calm down, he had to go.

As he moved away from the Aurora and crossed that port, he became more nervous. What if he screwed up? What if they caught him? He would come back from the dead, that didn't worry him, but he couldn't let Seonghwa die.

"You can do it, Hongjoong." He said to himself.

"You can do it, captain!" That man, the owner of the port, replied.

He wasn't expecting it, of course it scared him.

He decided to ignore him and continue on his way.

It didn't take long to reach the path that crossed the forest. It was spacious and well-kept, surely so that the carriages of the visitors could reach the city without problems.

He did not like going on the main road, much less surrounded by people of high birth. But he had no choice.

He took it as a test to see if he could really go unnoticed and to study the Oxpass people. Oh, how much money could he get if he managed to steal just one of them.

However he couldn't risk it, he wasn't going to miss that opportunity.

Luckily for him no one noticed him on the way, he arrived in town without any problem. Oh, the palace was even more intimidating from there.

“Okay, where do I start…?”

How to get questionable information in a city full of rich and soldiers? It was late, maybe in the most hidden alleys he could get the information out of some drunk jerk. He doubted he was going to find an ally there, the pirates didn't last long on Oxpass.

It was time to get to work.

Or so he thought when he started walking.

Streets and more streets, each one stranger than the last. He was not clear what half of the businesses were for, there were even some without signs. It was probably where most secrets of the place happened.

Argh, what could he do?

The night was getting darker and he had nothing, it felt like he was inside an hourglass that was slowly drowning him. If he found nothing he would have to simply break into the palace the next day... and no, that was not a good idea. There was nothing he could do against all the security of the place.

He kept walking, more and more tired. He wasn't even clear where he was but he didn't care either.

Finally, guided by sheer frustration, he slammed his fist on a wooden door. He hurt his hand, yeah, but that was not the worst.

"Watch out, you're going to pay for the settlement!"

Huh? The captain looked around, but there was no one in that alley. Did it come from inside? Probably.

It was then that he returned his gaze to the door, noticing a detail in it. It was hidden in dust and dirt, but there was a carved symbol.

Oh, was that real? A hallucination perhaps?

He ran his hand over the symbol to make sure it was really there.

It was.

"Seven Seadogs."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay of this chapter! I'll try my best to keep posting on saturdays, but I have a lot of work....... ANYWAY, HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER. STAY HEALTHY AND FOLLOW MY TWITTER @_JINHIT FOR SOME MEMES AND ART OF MY FICS!


	16. Chapter 16

Seven Seadogs.

What was a place like that doing on Oxpass? Perhaps it was a trap, a symbol that attracted pirates. Maybe they were going to kill him if he set foot inside that place.

But it had come to him as a last hope, what if it was real?

He could not pass by.

He took a deep breath and brought one of his hands to the weapon he was carrying, prepared for the worst. Then he opened the door and entered.

"... Uh?"

The truth was that he expected absolute darkness, some creepy things ... Something like what was in the Seven Seadogs from Crowhost.

But he was wrong.

It actually looked like a shop. Normal shelves, normal displays, good lighting... No cats.

"Am I in the right place...?"

"I don't know. Are you?"

The voice behind the counter was the same one that yelled at him when he punched the door.

Finally he looked over at him, waiting for some eccentric dude.

But there was this guy, sitting quietly behind the counter.

Brown hair, remarkably strong body, sitting like a normal person… At that moment Hongjoong realized that the sinister shop was Bambam's, not all Seven Seadogs.

"You came in to pay me for the door? It was just a warning, I doubt you broke it." The other said as he stood up, glancing at the captain.

"What? No, no. I'm a customer. A pirate. I didn't expect to find this place..."

"On Oxpass? Yeah, I hear it often." Then he cleared his throat, preparing his voice for false enthusiasm. "Welcome to Seven Seadogs! What brings a pirate like you to this hell of a city?"

Such enthusiasm made that last sentence sound even comical, Hongjoong would have laughed had he not been desperate.

"A friend." However, he didn’t take long to correct himself. "Well, no. I came for something else, but the plans have changed."

"They're going to kill him tomorrow, am I right?" The stranger seemed even happy about it. "Then you're in the right place."

"Can you stop the execution...?"

"Oh, gods, no."

At that moment Hongjoong sighed, beginning to look at the items on the shelves before giving an answer.

"Can you take me there?"

"The Oxpass executions are a celebration, the noble's victory over the filthy pirates." He began to explain. "That is why they are held in the palace, usually at large events."

"They kill their enemies during parties. Is that what you're saying?"

How cruel could these nobles be? They probably didn't even consider pirates people.

"Exactly! And the old Jackson has seen a lot of parties."

"Who the fuck is Jackson."

"I- I'm Jackson, you dumb bitch."

"You're not that old, huh."

"Shut up and let me finish."

Hongjoong just raised his hands a little, didn't say anything else.

"I need to go in there tomorrow too. I have an offer for you that you can't refuse."

"Is it because it's your only idea?"

"Effectively."

Hongjoong didn’t answer, he took a moment to breathe and get closer to the other. He leaned against the counter and could see him clearly, more closely. He did indeed seem strong, perhaps he knew what he was doing. Also, he seemed a lot more decent than Bambam.

"Go ahead. What’s your plan?"

"It isn’t difficult to sneak into such a place if you know the methods." Jackson smiled a little when he saw that the other was interested. "But the most important thing is that many guests go to show off."

"Are you telling me that wearing some expensive clothes is enough?"

“Oh, no, they are not just going to show off clothes. They like to exhibit their company, young maidens who accompany them. ”

"But we don't have that."

"We could."

"Are you planning to kidnap poor girls to get in there?" Hongjoong was silent for a moment when he saw that something was wrong with his idea. "No, you don't need us for that."

At that moment Jackson stood up and opened a door behind him, accessing a kind of warehouse. What he took out of the warehouse was clothes, clearly expensive. Oh, it was definitely one of those suits the nobles used, it would be a good costume.

However, there was a problem. Only one of the sets was men's, Jackson also released two opulent women's dresses, plus two suspiciously realistic wigs.

“Oh.”

Then the captain understood.

* * *

“So… you don’t know what you are.” Mingi said, making sure he understood.

“Exactly.” Jongho replied.

“Now that’s weird. At least I know what cursed me.” Yeosang added.

“Listen, It’s not easy.” The blacksmith sounded frustrated, he’d been trying to explain it for a while. “It just appeared one day. I have no fucking idea why.”

“Maybe you’re cursed too.” Mingi laughed.

The three of them were sitting on the deck, they didn't have any kind of plan or instructions. Wooyoung spent all that time going from one side of the Aurora to the other, thinking about what they could do if the captain didn't come back.

He wasn't going to be able to sleep that night, no doubt.

No one would until Hongjoong returned to the ship, but at least the other three were entertaining themselves with all kinds of conversations.

"So... You are cursed and he doesn't know what he is..." Mingi said. "Anything else I should know about you?"

"The captain revives if the ship is afloat." Yeo added.

"Oh, you've already seen that." Jongho laughed a little. "What about you? Does the fearsome pirate Mingi have something to explain to us?”

Uh oh.

That question was friendly and casual, but it caused Mingi to shut up completely. A couple of seconds passed until he forced a couple of false laughs, trying not to raise suspicions from his new companions.

"Me? I am just an ordinary pirate. Human, unlike you."

“The White Army’s Nightmare!” Wooyoung started to shout from behind. “The one who defied the masked spirits! The one who…!”

“Okay, okay! I did a bit more than surviving, but I’m still human.”

“Yeah, the masked spirits thing sounds pretty human.” Yeosang added. “Tales say that humans can’t hurt them.”

“...”

Once again, Mingi only gave them some silence.

His mouth was open like he wanted to say something, but no sound came out of it.

Of course the rest became more curious, even Wooyoung approached them.

“So… Are you possessed or something?” The silver haired said. “You don’t look possessed. Unless masked spirits turned you into a tall scaredy cat.”

“I’m not possessed. And I’m not a scaredy cat.” Mingi finally replied. “I got a bit of help. That’s it.”

“So you just saw others fight the spirits.” Yeosang spoke then.

“No! I really faced them, huh! Why is it so hard to believe?”

“I don’t know how many lies did you tell us since you came here. We are getting used to them.” Wooyoung laughed a bit.

Mingi was about to complain once more, but then something sounded behind them. The wood of the port creaked, someone was approaching the Aurora. The darkness of the night did not let them see clearly who it was, just a silhouette.

Oh, it was a huge shape, it didn't look human. Were there beasts in the Oxpass Forest too?

The four pirates raised their hands to weapons. Wooyoung to his whip, Mingi and Yeosang to their swords... Jongho raised his fists.

However no one launched into the attack, perhaps the monster wouldn’t get into the Aurora.

It got closer and closer, until finally the light from the ship's lanterns showed the fearsome hungry beast.

"What are you doing? Leave the riot for another day.” Hongjoong said in a calm tone. "Help me with this things."

Indeed, that silhouette was that of the captain and the huge sacks he carried with him. It didn't take Jongho a second to go to the captain to help him, although the sacks turned out to be less heavy than the blacksmith expected.

"I hope you carry Seonghwa in there." Wooyoung said as he put away the weapons. "Why did you take so long?"

"Do you think it’s easy to find a way to save a pirate in this city?"

Yeosang then came to help as well, taking the smallest of the sacks since Jongho arranged the largest ones. But it was better than not helping. They set it aside on the deck, not quite sure where they should take it or what was inside.

"So... is there a plan?" The silver haired one said. "What did you bring?"

"I met someone very interesting." The captain began to explain. "He will help us enter the palace, we’ll try to find Seonghwa and leave before the execution."

“Wait, someone? How do you know it's legit? Why would he help us?” Mingi interrupted. "I don't want to end up in line for the gallows."

"He needs to get in, too, I think."

"You think?"

"Trust me for once!" Hongjoong exclaimed. The truth was that he also had doubts, but it was his only option. "Or at least pretend you trust me!"

"It’s difficult when we are here because of you."

"Wooyoung! Do you want Seonghwa back or not?!”

The boatswain didn’t respond, but his expression made the answer clear. The captain took a breath as he let him continue speaking, aware that there would be a general refusal of the plan when he exposed it. Probably his crew expected everything but that.

"Yeosang." Hongjoong continued explaining. "Do you think you can teach them noble manners in one day?"

After saying that he pointed to Mingi and Jongho, who were clearly confused. The prince was disoriented too but ended up nodding.

"I will do what I can."

"Perfect, because you will enter the palace through the main gate."

* * *

It was time. The hours had passed, the three people in charge of that job had spent the whole day practicing how to impersonate nobles, Wooyoung and Hongjoong were devising alternatives in case the first plan failed.

The captain and the boatswain were on deck, as the other three were putting on their uncomfortable clothing in the captain's cabin; they didn't want to risk breaking it by going up and down stairs.

Little was heard from outside other than the screaming and whining of Mingi, who was apparently having trouble adjusting to the outfit.

It was almost time, finally the cabin door opened and caught the gaze of the two waiting outside.

The first to go outside was Jongho, who seemed the exercise-addicted son of a true nobleman. The clothes seemed to tighten him a little but did their job.

"Let me introduce you to the new young ladies who have just stepped onto the Aurora." He said in a mocking tone, clearly amused.

Then someone else came out of the cabin.

Yeosang.

"Holy shit." That was Wooyoung's automatic reaction.

The boatswain thanked that the party was at night and there were no horns on the prince's head, otherwise he would have been in charge of wearing that eerily realistic wig.

But the wig was not the important thing, no, the important thing was the elegant and probably very expensive dress.

"My companion tonight," Jongho continued speaking. “The sweet and calm young woman who dazzled me with her intense gaze during one of my birthday parties.”

"Oh, they've even prepared their characters." Added the captain.

The truth was that Yeosang's gestures and way of walking made him pass perfectly as a young and rich woman, as well as being the one who knew best how to move among people like that.

On the other hand…

“Gods, I can’t breathe with this shit.”

Mingi.

As soon as he walked out the door the silver-haired one couldn't help but laugh, his shrill laughter invading that port and probably frightening its owner.

"Oh, what a cute giant lady we have here." The captain said.

"Thank you." Mingi replied, he was outraged but appreciated the compliments.

“And here we have…” Once again, Jongho. “A gorgeous voiceless woman normally rejected by cowards because of her height.”

“Why is my character the mute one?”

“Have you ever heard yourself?” Yeosang instantly answered.

“... Okay. Gorgeous voiceless woman. Keep going.”

Leaving aside the detail of the voice, Mingi could manage to fit the role as well. Despite his sharp features, the pirate's soft lips fitted perfectly with the wig he wore with him.

Not to mention that strangely the dress fit him, in addition to what he wore underneath it. Of course he decided that if he did it he would do it well, he was probably the one who had taken the longest to get dressed.

“Actually you should talk about your backstory with the guy who will go with you.” Jongho said after some seconds of silence. “Maybe he already thought one.”

“I still can’t believe you made me go with the random dude.”

To be honest no one told him to do so, he shouted ‘no true pirate is afraid of strangers’ and then realized neither Yeosang or Jongho were true experimented pirates yet. He played himself.

"Stop complaining, at least the guy is handsome." Hongjoong said with a laugh.

Mingi glanced at the captain, looking outraged at the contribution. Did they think his dignity was worth less than an attractive man? He took the moment to take out the fan that was given to him next to the dress and opened it, covering his mouth with it.

"How handsome? Handsome average or handsome like 'what a god'?"

The creak of the wood made the captain look towards the port, the pirate they were waiting for was beginning to approach the Aurora.

"Judge for yourself."

Mingi looked at the stranger. There was Jackson, also dressed in those elegant clothes for the occasion and accompanied by the owner of the port. They seemed to be friends.

“Okay, he’s handsome. I’ll take it.”

That said Mingi went straight to the platform that linked the Aurora and the port walkway, followed by Jongho.

Before the prince could join them, Hongjoong took his arm.

"Keep them from drawing too much attention, please."

"You ask a lot of me, captain, but I’ll do my best."

Then finally the three false nobles left the ship.

They didn't have much trouble getting to the palace gates thanks to Jackson's directions, at least ignoring the bug incident.

During their journey along the path that crossed the forest a huge insect appeared, causing screams from Mingi and the pirate who was guiding them. Luckily Mingi's screams seemed to come from the blacksmith, who didn't stand out better either.

Everything was solved with a simple swipe of Yeosang to the bug, the situation was between comical and disastrous.

But luckily it was the only incident.

Once at the gates of the palace, Jackson made it easy to enter the party, as if he had done this numerous times. Everything seemed to be working perfectly but the worst was yet to come.

The place was huge, crowded, and they had no idea where to start looking.

In addition Mingi attracted people's eyes, they were not used to the nobles bringing such tall companions to the party. Normally a man of high birth wanted to be taller than the woman who was with him.

Luckily Jongho and Yeosang were much more discreet, they managed to mix easily among the nobles.

It was going to be an entertaining party, no doubt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last week I couldn't post any chapter... Sorry for that! I'll try my best so it won't happen again!  
> I hope you enjoy the new chapter!


	17. Chapter 17

"I will stand guard tonight."

Wooyoung's voice managed to get the captain out of his thoughts, he wasn't expecting the boatswain to come up and say anything to him. Hongjoong was sitting on the deck cleaning his weapons, he had to look up to see the other's face.

"You don’t have to, you also need to rest."

“If I leave you alone you’ll fall asleep at any time. I will do this with or without you, captain.”

Then Wooyoung sat on the ground as well, next to the captain. He was strangely relaxed, as if the night had drained his energy.

The first thing Hongjoong could do was lay his weapons aside, staring down at the ground.

“Will you help me?”

“Uh?”

“Wooyoung, I need your help. I don’t know what to do once he’s back…”

“If he comes back.”

“He will come back. I’m sure of it.” Hongjoong didn’t know what would he do if the plan didn’t work. “And I’ll fix this. I can’t lose him.”

“Why should I help you?”

The truth was, Wooyoung was maintaining a calm and soft tone of voice. The captain didn’t know the reason but he appreciated it.

“I failed as a…”

“As a captain, yeah. You let your emotions be stronger than you. I heard it before.”

“No. I failed as a friend.” Hongjoong corrected it. “I felt betrayed and overreacted. I don’t wanna do this to make things easier for me, I wanna do this because I owe it to him.”

The boatswain took a couple of seconds to react, as if he was thinking of a correct answer. Finally he nodded a little.

“Okay. I’ll help you.”

“Thanks, gods…”

"But you will do my labor for a good time, captain."

* * *

Jongho and Yeosang managed to sneak out of the party hall to search the mansion in search of the prisoners who would be executed, but Mingi had not been so lucky.

Jackson gave him the necessary information to get his bearings in the palace, but he was unable to leave the party. The Oxpass nobles seemed to be curious about the huge, voiceless lady, and Mingi made the mistake of pretending to be interested.

One after another these men offered the pirate dances and drinks, something that his companion was taking care of rejecting again and again.

At that time the pirate fanned himself while looking for something to drink on his own.

Receiving so many compliments would have been flattering in another situation, but those guys didn't know how to woo a lady without Mingi wanting to hit them all over the face. Luckily he had been able to contain himself.

Finally he took a glass, sipping everything in it and leaving it in the first place he found.

He looked around for an escape route but they were all well guarded. It was not difficult for him to notice some soldiers near the doors, he knew well their behavior. However one caught his attention more than the rest.

A young man who was enjoying the party on his own. He was acting like one of those undercover soldiers, but he didn't seem to be watching anything. Perhaps he was an envoy from another city, he would have gone to Oxpass to negotiate, not to be on duty. Probably his rank was higher than that of the soldiers who were working.

But that wasn’t the strangest thing about him.

No matter how attentive Mingi was, that young man always managed to move without the pirate noticing. It almost seemed like he just magically came and went, he was incredibly discreet.

He would need to keep that in mind when moving around the mansion, he seemed dangerous.

"Excuse me miss."

Suddenly a voice startled the pirate, who was focused on his work. Another of those men held out his hand.

"Would you give me a dance? It is offensive for a beauty like you to be alone.”

Disgusting.

Mingi looked around for Jackson, hoping he could scare off that rancid rich man. However he wasn’t able to find him, by the time he realized the guy was already taking him to the dance floor.

It wasn't that Mingi didn't know how to dance, because he knew, but he couldn't waste time with that.

He decided to please the hateful man with a dance and then he would get out of there without raising suspicions, he had to think of a way to divert attention elsewhere.

But first the pirate would have to dance.

* * *

“Gods, this place is huge.” Jongho muttered.

“It’s too big even for me. And I lived in one of those.”

Yeosang was having trouble getting around the palace, but luckily they still had some time. They wandered through numerous rooms without finding any trace of the prisoners.

The prince tried to think of which places were best to lock up pirates before hanging them, but every time he seemed to find the right door he found another random room.

Once again he found a suspicious door, although it had something different from the rest; soldiers.

That was a good sign for them, it was probably the right door.

Yeosang and Jongho looked at each other for a moment before acting.

"Excuse me." Said the blacksmith.

The guards were startled to see the young couple, no one was expected to appear there.

"What are you doing here?!" One of the soldiers exclaimed.

"My dear has an urgency, but I am afraid we are not able to find a bathroom."

"Why haven't you used the ones around the party?" The other soldier asked.

At that the blacksmith came closer to him, as if he wanted to say something to him without his companion knowing about it.

"It is a greater urgency... She does not want to damage her image as a lady, all the guests could hear her."

"Ah." Yeosang added with a completely neutral tone and his most feminine voice. "It is true. I need to shit. It is super urgent.” And he nodded, trying to sound convincing.

"Could you help us?"

Saying that, Jongho put his hand on a soldier's shoulder and before receiving an answer, hit him hard on the stomach with the other hand. It didn't take him too long to knock both guards unconscious while Yeosang pretended to be shocked, he didn't want to get out of character.

"Come on, quickly." The blacksmith said as he opened the door.

Both entered without thinking twice, they didn’t want to be seen by anyone next to the unconscious soldiers, but once inside they realized where they were.

It wasn't a prison or anything like that, there was no one to rescue. It was a huge library. They were wrong again, not to mention that they had assaulted the palace guards.

"Why would they put up soldiers to guard a library?" Yeosang muttered as he entered the room.

"Perhaps there is a hidden door."

Jongho then went straight to the shelves, willing to search them for any openings or false walls. He wasn't exactly being delicate, something that made the prince nervous. However, he understood that they didn’t have time to be careful.

"I'll take care of this side." Yeosang said as he went to another part of the library. "We cannot waste time."

Then he started rummaging too, as fast as his clothes allowed him. He couldn't find anything and he supposed that the other one didn't either, because he kept listening to more and more books falling to the ground.

Finally something caught the prince's attention, an unusually more careful shelf than the rest. He couldn't help but get closer, seeing that inside were some clearly old books. Relics? They should be, they were probably very expensive.

One of them stood out among the others, despite the fact that its paper was worn and old, it had brilliant golden engravings. He pulled it off the shelf hoping it would hide something behind it, but ended up focusing on the book's title.

_ The journey to Ciarmyr, the man who lost everything. _

* * *

Was there any way to escape from those men?

Mingi had been going from hand to hand for a long time, dancing with those filthy rich guys without finding a way to leave. He felt sorry for all the young women in the place, they had just been replaced by a pirate with a wig.

He finally believed that he could leave and disappear from the party, but suddenly another voice rang out behind him.

"Dancing without me? That's not fair."

Mingi turned around ready to reject that guy, he had enough.

However, his idea changed when he saw him, causing the pirate to speak for the first time all night.

“Fuck.”

That did not sound like a fancy damsel, but at least only the culprit heard him. There was the soldier, his outstretched hand waiting for the pirate to take it. It had to be him.

Yunho.

It took him a couple of seconds but Mingi ended up taking his hand.

Not only did he fear that the other would blow the whistle on him if he rejected him, for some reason he wanted to do it. He waited long for that dance.

The soldier said nothing about it, but it was more than obvious that he recognized him.

He could have just caught him, but decided that a dance would be more fun.

Damn Yunho.

"I notice something different, princess. Did you cut your hair since the last time we met?”

Mingi did not reply, of course. Gorgeous voiceless woman, that was him. When noticing it, the black haired man laughed a little.

As soon as the dance started, everyone seemed to be watching the soldier and the peculiar damsel, as if they were a most striking couple. But luckily the instruments covered their voices with ease.

Then the pirate sighed and spoke, using a tone that only the other could hear.

"Let me go, just this time. I'll make it up to you.”

"Uh? How do you plan to compensate me? Releasing the pirate I caught?”

"It was you?"

However Mingi did not sound surprised, Yunho always had a great sense of opportunity. But that made him think maybe it wasn't just the captain's fault, they found them on that island because he was in the crew.

How many years had he spent running from Yunho over and over again? The soldier always seemed to know how to get to him.

Perhaps it was their destiny.

Oh, Mingi really wished for the chase to cease.

He wanted Yunho by his side, as an ally. As a friend. Maybe as something more, like they were long before.

It was upon hearing Yunho's laugh that the pirate thought back to the situation he was in. Dancing quietly at a party with the guy he could never spend time with without ending up in a cell. Maybe he was entitled to that dance. Only one, then he would go back to work.

But the dance lasted less than he expected. Why were the ones with the random dudes so long and the only one he wanted seemed to last seconds?

When the music died down he could see the soldier holding out his hand again. He wasn’t able to deny the gesture when he saw that adorable smile on his face, at which Yunho began to move away from people.

Was he helping him to run away from the lords? What a gentleman.

Finally they passed through one of the doors of the great hall, behind which was a large inner courtyard. The pirate made sure that there was no one else while Yunho closed the door.

"Is this a yes?" Mingi said, hoping the other would help him. "Please tell me it's a yes."

"Why did you have to appear here? Do you want to be killed?”

"That doesn't sound like a yes."

Then Yunho put his hands on Mingi's shoulders, but it didn't take long for him to lower them to his waist to try to touch the foreign body through the dress.

"Are you really wearing a corset?"

"You know. Go big or go home.”

"..." The dark-haired man took a couple of seconds to process the information. "What was I going to tell you...?"

"You were going to say that you will help me."

"No, it wasn't that." He seemed to have completely forgotten it, but then he raised his hand slightly with his extended forefinger, a sign that something had come to his mind. "Ah!"

"Ah?"

The soldier took Mingi by the hand and began to walk with some haste. The pirate should have questioned that, should have asked where he was taking him. Yeah.

But oh my god they were holding hands.

It had been too long since they were alone and holding hands, it was quite difficult when they were enemies and all that stuff. It was probably irrelevant to Yunho, but the pirate needed to take advantage of every little moment.

What happened to them?

Long ago it was easier, long ago they could have been together.

Oh, how many time did Mingi spend daydreaming? By the time he realized the walls were completely different. Much less opulent, pure stone rather.

"Wait, wait... Is this...?"

He looked around and could see some boxes and sacks with objects, most of them weapons and blunt objects. When he looked straight ahead, he could clearly see the bars that held the prisoners.

“Thank Gods, I really thought you weren't going to help me. Where's Seonghwa?”

No, he did not see him in that cell. However there seemed to be several throughout the room. He tried to go ahead to look for the lieutenant, he had to find him and get out. However he realized something was holding him back, Yunho did not release his hand.

"Yunho...?"

He looked back at the black haired man holding him. He said nothing, but it was all clear when he started rummaging through the keys he had with him.

"Yunho. Yunho darling. Yunho no. Don’t do this.”

Clink, clink. The keys kept ringing until finally the soldier found the one he wanted.

“Yunho holy fucking shit. Why are you like this.”

"Stand aside!" The soldier yelled ignoring Mingi as he approached one of the cells.

"YUNHO!" The pirate was still trying to get rid of the grip. "WHAT ABOUT THE GOOD TIMES?! WHERE DID FELLOWSHIP AND TRUST GO?!”

"It died the moment you became a pirate and I became a soldier. I’m sorry princess.”

Saying that Yunho opened the cell and gave a strong tug on the pirate's arm, managing to get him inside. He closed the door before the other could react, Mingi had no choice but to grab onto the bars while trying to make the other listen to him. 

Mingi’s heart shattered upon hearing those words. It was so cold, It didn’t feel real for him. Maybe he was the only one who didn’t think they were really enemies, perhaps he had put too much hope in what he felt.

He really hoped Yunho to turn around and help him.

“I thought six years was worth more than this! We've lived through a lot together!"

However it did not help, the soldier ended up leaving the place without saying a word. Mingi felt betrayed, something strange since this was completely predictable to anyone but him. He ended up dropping to his knees on the floor, staining that dress with the dirt of the place.

But the dirt meant nothing next to how miserable he felt.

He planned to lament silently, but then a voice reminded him that he was not the only one there.

“Dude, that’s pretty fucked up. You deserve someone that won’t take you to jail.”

The pirate turned around and then saw that there were two more people in that cell. Two young men. They both had black hair, the one who spoke had blonde bangs. The other had a few red strands all over his hair, he was sitting in the corner with the expression of having accepted death.

Something normal considering that they were going to kill them.

“Oh shit, I’m going to die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know things went pretty fast since the start, but everyhting will start to slow down now! 
> 
> As always rember to take care of yourself, drink water and rest well. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

“Did you try to tell him how you feel?”

“Why is a guy in jail telling me how to seduce a soldier?” Mingi asked.

The young stranger shrugged a little.

"We don't have much more to do." Then he pointed to the one with the red locks. "And this dude doesn't give me conversation."

"Right, they’re going to kill him."

"How can you be so calm?!" Suddenly he spoke, surprise. His voice was more childish than the other two expected. "We are going to die! They are killing innocents!”

At first they were going to try to reassure him, his sudden laments managed to surprise them. However both Mingi and the other guy laughed when they heard that last thing.

Innocents.

"We're pirates." Mingi spoke. "Probably all the prisoners are."

"I am not!" Exclaimed the other. "Am I the only one who isn't?!"

"I am not a pirate either."

That last voice came from the cell next to theirs, in which there was only one guy. He seemed quite relaxed, but the most shocking thing was that he was wearing a uniform. The White Army uniform, although the colors were completely different. It was a black uniform with red accents.

"Although I am not going to die."

“Why the fuck are you here?”

“Stabbed a teammate, but he’s okay. They’ll let me out.”

“... Okay I’m gonna ignore you.” Mingi decided, looking back at the guys by his side. “You know what? We are not dying here.”

Then he stood up, lifting the skirts of the dress. At first the other two looked away, but then they noticed that Mingi was wearing pants.

Oh, he wasn't just wearing pants, he was carrying a bag hidden there.

He did what he had been waiting for all night, took out a dagger and tore the dress to rip it off quickly. That left him in discreet pants, a white shirt and corset.

He also wanted to remove it, but doubted he would be able to do it alone.

"Are you with me?"

Then he held out his hand to the poor innocent boy. But seeing that he did not react, it was the other young man who took it.

“Hell yeah! Let’s get out of here!”

“Yeah!” Mingi shouted. “But first… Who are you?”

“Mark! I’m Mark!” He shouted too, happy to have some motivation.

“Nice, I’m Mingi!”

“We are not gonna die!” Suddenly the mood of the boy with the red locks changed, as if the attitude of others had infected him. He stood up excited. “San!”

“Joshua!” The dude on the other side said, the one with the White Army uniform.

“No, not you. You’re not a part of this.” Mingi said while he took out his wig. “You can’t join the emotional name shouting, soldier.”

“Yeah, we’re not taking a soldier with us. We may be stupid but not that much.” Mark said.

“Why did you assume we are stupid too?” Mingi added.

“Yeah! I’m not stupid!” San joined too.

“Okay, okay. We are not stupid.” Mark corrected himself. “Now, how do we get out of here?”

Silence, San and Mingi looked at each other. It was true the pirate escaped from the Army numerous times, but he usually had some help.

Seeing that none of them had any idea, Mark laughed a little and then talked.

“Okay, big guy. Show me what you brought under your dress, I’ll get us out.”

* * *

“Shit, it was a waste of time.” Jongho sounded more than pissed off. “It’s almost time.”

“Maybe Mingi found him.” The prince replied in a soft tone, trying to calm the other. “We’re not alone.”

“I hope you’re right.”

After turning an entire library upside down without finding anything, they went back to their search. They had less and less time and hope, but they were not going to give up. They knew they were close to the party again because they heard the music more clearly, but they couldn't risk being seen in it again and losing the chance to escape.

They couldn't screw it up, they had to do the job well.

Neither of them had spoken about it, but somehow they'd both taken it as an exam, the ultimate test of whether they would become part of the Aurora.

They had to prove themselves, prove they were true members of the crew.

Jongho was advancing at a remarkably fast pace, which is why he was not expecting his partner to stop dead and grab his arm. For a moment Yeosang was about to be dragged forward, thanks god the blacksmith noticed.

"What happened…?"

But the prince did not give an answer, he only pointed to one of the doors they had just passed. He seemed to be hearing something behind it, Jongho thought.

And he was right.

Yeosang was still getting used to hearing more than normal, but it was clear that there was something in there. He was listening to footsteps, someone was walking around the room reluctantly. And with each step a metallic sound resounded as well. 

Keys.

That shouted ‘guard’ for him. The library had no lock, so it had to be something more important. Something like prisoners.

He finally looked Jongho in the eyes and nodded, he was sure of it.

"There’s someone. Surely armed.” He muttered so that only the other could listen to him. "I don't know if I can be of much help."

“I got this.”

Then the youngest clapped the prince on the shoulder. He didn't want the other to feel bad about not being able to fight, much less wanted to put him in danger if he wasn't prepared for it.

Jongho brought both hands to that door, however he allowed himself to breathe deeply before doing anything.

Finally he snapped it open and headed straight for the first figure he spotted, pouncing on the guard instantly. They had no time for another improvisation.

Yeosang quickly entered after him and closed the door so that the screams were not heard from the party.

As soon as the unstoppable tsunami that was the blacksmith collided with the enemy's body, the huge soldier fell to the ground causing a loud blow.

“Agh! I even had a cool phrase ready!” The guard said. He didn’t sound too scared. “Why are you so savage?!”

“What?”

Then Jongho took a closer look at the guy.

Oh.

“Hey, Yeo, it’s this guy again.”

“Which guy?”

Then Yeosang moved closer to the scene. As soon as he saw that the fallen soldier was Yunho, his body was invaded by a strange sensation. On one hand he didn’t dislike the guy too much, he was the only one who didn’t want to kill him during the exchange. But on the other hand it scared him that he kept appearing again and again.

“Oh.” Said the prince. “He’s nice, but still a soldier. Kick his ass.”

“Got it.”

“Wait! Wait!” Yunho sounded more afraid when he saw the blacksmith fist go straight to his face. “I can help!”

The fist stopped moving.

“Just- Just let me breathe!” He pleaded. “Please.”

"Oh, should I?" Jongho pretended to stop to think about it, though without lowering his fist. “Because of you I had to leave my house without luggage. Why should I have mercy?”

Of course the soldier had no answer for that, he just tried to take a deep breath once more and looked back at the younger's hand. Maybe his plan hadn't quite gone well.

“Let him speak.”

Yeosang's voice surprised both of them, neither of them expected the prince's compassion.

To be honest he wasn’t doing it for mercy. If the soldier really was gonna help them Yeo wasn’t gonna be the one wasting the chance.

Jongho got up then, though he didn't trust the other in the least. Friendly or not, he was still an enemy.

Yunho didn't even get up on the spot, he lay on the ground for a few seconds while catching his breath.

“If you play a trick on us I won’t doubt to-”

“Please, that won’t be necessary.” Then he finally stood up. “I have a deal for you.”

“A deal? Do you think we need a deal when we can kick your balls right now?” Yeosang said, but then corrected himself. “He can. I’m more like a moral supporter or something.”

Jongho looked at the prince then and nodded, as if he was proud of him for that contribution. Yeo had sounded as threatening as he could, he had to admit it.

“Really, guys. I don’t want to die and the bosses have their eyes on me.” Yunho sounded incredibly honest. “I can keep helping you- If you don’t beat me to death, you know.”

“No, I don’t think so. Why would you be by our side?”

“Can you at least let me explain the deal before actually coming back to the punching me thing?”

The blacksmith didn’t answer. He took a couple of seconds to think and then signaled the soldier to keep talking.

“Thank you.”

Then he took his hand to the sword he carried with him. It alarmed the pirates but luckily they didn’t attack. He didn’t unsheathe it, he just offered it to the others.

Jongho was about to ask about it but then he noticed it wasn’t a soldier sword. It was so fancy, clean and singular. Seonghwa’s sword.

Yeosang was the one who took it since the blacksmith was focused on throwing the big guy to the floor if he did anything suspicious.

“And… You’ll need this.”

Yunho then took a bunch of keys out of his pocket and threw them. The prince failed to catch them on the fly so he had to pick the keys up from the ground, which was not easy with his outfit.

“Why is this a deal? What do you want from us?” Jongho asked, suspicious.

"I don't want to raise suspicions." Yunho shrugged a little. "As I said, they keep an eye on me, if the prisoners disappear on my guard I am screwed."

Then Yunho stepped aside, as if making way for the other two.

“The dances are about to end. When the music stops I will alert the guards and go after you. My only condition is that you have to hurry up.”

"This is suspiciously kind of you." The prince said. “There has to be a reason for you to help us.”

"I could explain, but then you will have less time."

At that, Jongho and Yeosang looked at each other, trying to decide if they were really going to let the other go. Finally the smith sighed heavily.

“We’ll take it. If this is a trap…”

“You’ll crush my arms and legs and throw my broken parts to the sharks?”

“That- That was a nice one. You would make a good pirate.”

“Hah.”

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip.

That sound was that of water falling through a leak, which kept making the annoying noise over and over again over a metal bucket.

It was strange that there were leaks in the palace, probably those who lived in it didn’t even pay attention to the prison where they threw the pirates.

At first Seonghwa tried to ignore it, but after hours and hours it was ending all his peace of mind. Worst of all, the leak was out of reach, he couldn't even push the bucket away.

Perhaps it would not solve the problem, but he felt that the metallic sound was making it much, much worse.

The blond had not even managed to sleep, perhaps that was done on purpose to torture the prisoners.

Besides he was lonely, he didn't even have an irritating and talkative guy to liven up the hours before his death. The closest to company was the guy in the next cell, but he had been sleeping since Seonghwa had arrived there. Good for him, the lieutenant wished he could do it too.

The only good thing was that he had time to think. He thought especially of what had happened to Hongjoong, how badly the captain's tantrum had combined with the appearance of the army.

“Damn, Joong.” He muttered.

Then he closed his eyes hoping to get some sleep before being killed by some stupid nobles and their dogs in uniform. 

But someone decided to make an entrance.

“How sad.” The voice sounded right next to the blonde. “Will you really die like this?”

Seonghwa opened his eyes the moment he heard someone next to him. Was he hallucinating? A few seconds ago he was sure of being alone.

When he looked to his side he saw a young man. He had golden skin and deep purple eyes, but the most remarkable thing about him was his hair. It was half blonde and half pink. He wasn’t even looking at the lieutenant, he had his gaze fixed in a random point of the wall in front of them.

“Happy to see me?” The stranger talked again.

Seonghwa had never seen that guy but his voice was strangely familiar. As if he had been listening to it all his life.

“Who are you…?” He finally asked.

“I gave you everything and you don’t even recognize me. What a disappointment, huh.”

‘I gave you everything’. Why did his hallucination guy talk like he gave birth to him? And why did he ask him who he was? It was a product of his imagination after all.

“Oh, you don’t think I’m real.” He finally understood.

“You just appeared here, of course I don’t think you’re real.” He sounded kind of frustrated. “The damn leak is making me crazy. Like, for real.”

“You’re not crazy, you’re stupid.”

Then the supposed hallucination stood up and kicked the lieutenant’s legs. It wasn’t a strong blow, the blonde barely felt it. But he did, even if it wasn’t much.

The guy was real.

Seonghwa didn’t know what to say, he just stared at the young men while trying to recognize him. The only remarkable thing he saw beside the hair was some tattoos on the right side of his body, from his chest to the neck.

‘I gave you everything’.

Then something clicked in his mind. A mysterious guy with a deep voice who just appeared like it was magic.

Oh.

**_Oh._ **

“Oh. Holy shit!”

Suddenly the blonde moved as fast as he could to kneel in front of the stranger, clearly upset. He had treated him like an illusion, he had disrespected a god.

“I’m sorry! I might be losing my mind to treat you like this, Trickster!”

“I don’t need you to be so formal. I don’t give a shit about your fancy manners.” He didn’t seem offended, he was just being sincere. “But I care about a thing.”

The blonde looked up at him. He still did not believe that him, a well known god, had manifested himself that way, he did not even know that he could do it. He simply waited for the god to continue speaking and explain what was bothering him.

“I gave you a ship, a sword and revived your beloved. And you lost all of them.”

“It wasn’t actually my fault- Well, the sword one was actually my fault.” He muttered the last part, but surely the god heard him.

The Trickster took a few seconds to think and then he moved, sitting just in front of the pirate. Seonghwa couldn’t say if he didn’t care about the dirt of the floor or if he really wasn’t affected by it.

“I don’t want to scold you.” He clarified. “I’m like- I’m invested in this shit. I didn’t save you from the bottom of the sea to see you die like this.”

"Oh." Suddenly Seonghwa's expression seemed to light up. "Are you here to help me? Thanks god! Like, literally. Thank you."

“Pfft, no. I can’t interfere in mortal stuff if it’s not a weird pact in the ocean.”

Then the blonde sighed, he felt like the god’s name really made him justice.

“Then why are you here?”

“Uh… Actually-”

But he couldn't finish speaking before a shrill noise interrupted him. What kind of idiot would yell like that in a jail? Which prisoner would have enough energy for it?

Oh. 

His idiot.

Despite how confused he was, Seonghwa couldn't help but smile when he saw Mingi appear down the long, dark hallway. Although he had no fucking idea who the two guys with him were. They seemed as energetic and scandalous as he was, something that under normal circumstances would have given him some fear.

"Looks like I'm not going to die here."

He laughed a little when he said that and looked to the side.

He was alone in that cell again.

"Blondie!" Mingi shouted.

He ran up to the cell where the lieutenant was as soon as he saw him. In the process he accidentally kicked that metal bucket and almost fell to the ground. He threw all the water that was in it and wet the blond, but he did not care. The stupid bucket deserved it.

“Hey, Mark! Can you open this one too?!” The pirate said, ignoring that he almost ate the floor. “This is the guy we’re looking for!”

“Oh, you made friends.”

“Yeah! Can we keep them?” Mingi asked like he was talking about some random pet he found in the trash. “They’re funny.”

“Hey, hey.” It was Mark who talked then, approaching the cell lock. “I already have a crew, I can’t join yours.”

“I don’t!” San said then. He sounded so happy, probably due to the adrenalin of the moment. “And I don’t wanna be a pirate, but I’ll die here! Nice to meet you, mister!”

Where the fuck did Mingi find those guys. Why did he find some funny and friendly boys and he had to deal with an irritating leak, a random god and a man who just kept sleeping.

Maybe he was dead. Whatever.

“You know what. If you get me out of here they can get on the ship. Whoever the fuck you want can get on the ship. You have my lieutenant word.”

Clack.

Suddenly the lock made a strange sound. Seonghwa couldn’t tell if the shorty broke it or opened it, but he was happy to hear the thing.

Thank you random dude called Mark who already has a crew.

“Okay. Now how do we get out of the palace without getting killed?”

…

San asked with pure innocence, thinking his skilled pirate companions thought of it. But they didn’t. They just looked at each other.

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They were, indeed, stupid.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always remember to take care of your health, drink a lot of water and, if you wanna see me shitpost and draw this AU (and more) take a look at my twitter @_JinHit !


	19. Chapter 19

Yunho returned to the party. He didn't like being around the irritating nobles but he had to keep his word.

He picked up one of the glasses the servants were handing out and sat down to wait.

From time to time he made sure to mislead those who might discover the pirates ahead of time, between laughter and discussion, time passed quickly.

Finally the last dance began.

The soldier stood up to make a false inspection of the prisoners, he had to be convincing when reporting that there were intruders.

He finished his drink and left the glass to one of the servants, then prepared to leave the area.

But something interrupted him.

"Hey, soldier!"

A young man shouted behind him.

"Leaving so soon?"

Yunho turned around to see who was calling him, preparing his kindest smile. He assumed it was some young man who overdid himself with alcohol, but no. It was the pirate from Seven Seadogs, Jackson.

He hadn't had contact with him until then, he only knew him as the guy who walked in with Mingi.

He was holding out his hand, waiting for the soldier to reciprocate.

"You made my lady disappear, you should take her place!"

Oh, the pirate knew well what he was doing. Did he overhear his conversation with Jongho and Yeosang?

Yunho was going to reject him cordially, but many gazes fell on him. Among them was one from that mysterious soldier who caught the attention of Mingi, as well as a colleague who was drinking with him. The more spirited of the two was platinum blonde like Seonghwa, although he had longer hair.

What was his name? Well, Yunho didn't remember the name of any of them, but he had something clear.

Those young men were of a much higher rank than his, if they suspected him he would be in trouble.

Yunho took a deep breath and ended up agreeing to Jackson's proposal. One more, the pirates would have just one more dance. It would be their only overtime, they better hurry.

* * *

"It has to be here."

Jongho distrusted the soldier's word, of course. Yet as he progressed he saw that they were following the right path.

They managed to get away from the opulent and clean walls of the mansion until they reached that prison. Apparently Yunho took care that there were no guards in his way, something that the blacksmith thanked him more than anything. He didn't feel like taking anyone else ahead.

Once they had the first cell in front of them a chill ran through the prince's body. It was the first time he had been in a place like this and he had a feeling that it would not be the last.

Jongho was quick to approach the boxes with the confiscated weapons, which left Yeosang relatively alone.

He moved a little towards those bars.

There was no one behind them.

It was then when he noticed that the cell door was open, and inside it was a torn dress. It gave him a bad feeling, but this was not the time for fear to slow him down.

He approached the broken door and then ...

“Ah!”

That was the prince's cry after being scared. Not very intense, luckily it didn't even get the blacksmith's attention.

What scared him? Steps. He heard footsteps around him, but they didn't seem human. There was an animal in that place, probably a huge rat.

He gave himself a couple of seconds to calm down, he couldn't let mere rats make him scream (or something similar) in fear.

"Prince!" Jongho exclaimed suddenly.

The blacksmith got hold of some weapons and wanted to move on, Yeosang wasted no time and went to him.

The place seemed to be big, they had to hurry or the guard would catch up.

Or maybe something worse than the guard.

Right next to that open door a few steps stopped shortly after, those of the animal that Yeo heard. Then the soldier who was locked in the next cell spoke.

"It was about time." Joshua said, relieved to see the animal. "Are you going to get me out of here?"

* * *

"So you came here with a perfect plan." Seonghwa was the one talking. "A perfect plan that doesn't include an escape route."

Mingi didn't reply, but for once he wasn't just avoiding the question. He was thinking, looking around him for a way to get out.

There had to be a door, a way to get the prisoners to the cells without crossing the palace. 

The group wandered over the place for a while looking for an exit, but none of them was being any successful.

Seonghwa was tired, all his body was invaded with pain. He needed to get out, to see the sun and get some fresh air. God how he missed the wind, the sound of the sea, the crew…

Uh.

He looked over the two boys who were helping them. One of them would probably stay with them and the other one, even if he insisted on already having a crew, would need some help from the Aurora to get the hell out of Oxpass.

But he knew nothing about them besides their names.

"Hey, boy." The blonde said looking at San. "You said you're no pirate. Why are you here then?"

"Uh…" He knew someone would ask sooner or later, but still sounded quite uncomfortable when he had to answer. "I was just doing normal stuff, working on the church…"

"You're a church boy? I wasn't expecting that." Mark interrupted.

"Yeah, well, not anymore. They kinda think I'm possessed so… I'm out."

"What?!" Seonghwa didn't expect the possession stuff. That was serious business, man. "You're possessed?!"

"I don't know! They say I am! They think the masked spirits invaded my body or something!"

"Gods, you're so loud." Mingi said, something that clearly outraged the blonde. The screaming coward called them loud. "Come here, church boy."

He sounded serious, the pirate was probably trying to focus on finding a way out but the other's conversation kept distracting him.

San did as he said and approached the pirate, not sure about what to expect.

Mingi suddenly took the other's face between his hands, making San look at him in the eyes.

"Who are you?"

"What? I already told you my name is San. Did you already forget it?"

"Sshh. Just– answer. Just answer."

"Uh, oh. Okay."

"Okay…" Mingi gave himself a second to focus again. "Who are you?"

"Choi San, a mere servant of the gods."

"Where are you?"

"Aren't those questions you ask to someone who just got a hard blow?" Seonghwa muttered.

"I'm in the Oxpass palace, trying to escape death." San replied, ignoring the blonde.

"In which side of the world are you?"

"Ah?" Then San lost the focus. He didn't know what the pirate meant. "You mean– like on a map? Are you asking me where's Oxpass?"

Then Mingi let go of the other's face and sighed, going back to searching for a way out.

"He's not possessed."

"What?" The blonde was confused. "How do you know?"

"That was creepy as shit." Mark added.

“Possessed people tend to hyperfocus. The third answer would be pretty different if he was.” Then he paused for a moment. “Also, it burns like swallowing pure poison when a masked spirit reaches you. You WOULD know.”

Mingi answered and went silent again, apparently he found something interesting. If something was clear about that place it was the charged atmosphere, it was closed and neglected. It was overwhelming. However, the pirate noticed some air, a slight current that he was not sure where it came from.

It could be a door or a window, but either option could lead to the exit.

However the other three were still amazed by the pirate's knowledge regarding the subject of spirits.

“How does he know that?” San wasn’t surprised, he was scared.

“Is he, you know…” Mark muttered, getting closer to Seonghwa. “Possessed. Like, for real.”

“He said he faced the spirits before, but I thought he was lying.” The blonde said.

It was then that Mingi turned around and saw the other three standing together, staring at him while muttering. He decided to ignore that he was the only one looking for a way out, he took for granted the others were tired from all the time they had been in jail.

“Hey, I got something!” He finally shouted.

“Maybe he wants to kill us. Or sacrifice us to more powerful spirits.” Once again, Mark spoke.

Then the blonde gave him a slight push and began to go towards Mingi, he wasn’t gonna doubt the one who came to rescue him from the gallows.

"Mingi is not possessed, and he’s trying to help." He finally said. "What did you find?"

“Oh.” Mingi was kinda touched by the lieutenant’s words. “I… I found a stream of air. It’s not a big thing but it has to come from some opening.”

“Good!” The lieutenant combed the other’s hair a little, it was a small show of affection… or just him being nervous about how the wig left it. “We’ll get out soon, thanks gods.”

_ You’re welcome. _

. . .

That scared Seonghwa. He didn’t expect an actual god to answer, but assumed only he could hear the Trickster. Was he still there enjoying the show?

Finally the group managed to organize and move in search of the opening, guided by Mingi, the master of escapism.

They walked a long time past more cells and poor corsairs who were going to die, but they didn't have time to free everyone.

The road was quiet until someone stopped. It was San, who turned to look back into the dimly lit corridor.

“Someone’s following us.”

This set off the alarms of the three pirates, but neither moved to protect the other. Rather, they were surprised by San's reaction, as he took a defensive position instantly.

It was a good one, he knew what he was doing. Did he know how to fight? Why did a church boy know how to kick someone’s ass? Maybe he only knew the basics to defend himself.

Finally the rest also heard the footsteps of someone approaching, Mingi took out a dagger from the bag he carried with him. After all, it was the only weapon of the group.

But then the silhouettes of those who were pursuing them began to be distinguished in the darkness, they were two figures. A big guy and a lady.

“Oh, fuck, you really scared the shit out of me.” 

That said, Mingi lowered the weapon and stepped forward, approaching the couple.

The first thing heard from them was Yeosang's voice, once again sounding calmer than it should.

“Oh, Mingi. You’re alive.”

"And in good company." Jongho added upon seeing the others, waving at Seonghwa in a truly adorable way. "Are they coming with us?"

"It seems so." The blond replied. "It looks like we’re unable to not take people with us lately."

“Wait, is the lady part of your crew?” Mark said, looking at the prince. “It brings bad luck having a woman on board.”

“It also brings bad luck to have a fucking dumbass on board and we’re taking you with us.” 

Yeosang replied.

“Holy shit.” San said, making a strange noise that seemed to be his laugh.

“No blaspheming, church boy.” Mingi said. Then took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s get out of this hell of a place. We just have to find the door and let Jongho break it down.”

“Why should I break it when we have this?” Then the blacksmith took out the keys and showed it to the rest, proud of having them.

The prince muttered a little ‘ta da!’ to emphasize it, even made some cute gestures with his hands.

“Where did you get those? Did you just…?” Mingi started to talk.

But he couldn’t finish before a voice sounded behind Jonho and Yeosang.

“ _ I can keep helping you _ – _ If you don’t beat me to death, you know. _ ”

Mingi pushed the prince away when he heard it, that was Yunho's voice. It sounded strange, yes, but it had to be him.

Or maybe not.

“Huh?”

There was no one behind them, no figure visible in the shadows.

“ _ Huh? _ ”

Oh, shit. 

A chill invaded Mingi's body when he heard the thing repeat what he just said, even imitating his voice.

Was there any kind of parrot?

If it was repeating what it heard… Did Yunho really help the pirates?

If it heard enough, it could make the army go for the soldier. He just betrayed them helping some pirates.

Mingi was afraid of that thing, but he kept getting closer to it. He wanted to know where those voices came from.

Finally he was close enough to see something, a silhouette. 

Was it… a cat? It seemed like one, but the ears were on the sides of the head, not on the top.

“What the…?”

Seonghwa said when the animal showed itself. Mingi couldn’t help to take some steps back when he saw it. That definitely wasn’t a cat.

It did have a cat body but the face…

“Holy fuck, this thing’s ugly as shit.” Jongho said.

* * *

“Hey, you funky rich party animals!”

The voice echoed all over the ballroom, something that caught everyone’s attention.

“Joshua?” The mysterious soldier said, unimpressed. “You’re free, congrats.”

“Yes, I am! But that’s not the point! There are intruders in the palace’s prison!”

Then he looked at Yunho, who just finished his unexpected dance with the pirate. He was more than alarmed, if the other knew what happened he could be the gallow’s victim instead of the pirates.

But the one in the black uniform said nothing about him.

“Some of the prisoner’s escaped! What a shitty guard this city has!”

Of course the local soldiers were offended, but Joshua’s rank was higher. They had no right to contradict him.

“Move your asses! As a member of the specialists, I order you to catch them!”

“Yes, sir!” “Sorry, sir!” “We’ll find them!”

Then all the low rank soldiers went to the job. When they were out of the ballroom, Joshua laughed and approached the two mysterious soldiers. The blond one instantly gave him a drink.

“You don’t care about pirates escaping, it’s not your job right now.” The other one said. “What happened?”

“I just wanted to be a good soldier today, Vernon.”

Then he took the drink like he had been a month without drinking anything. The other two just stared at him.

Finally he corrected himself.

“They didn’t let me join the emotional name shouting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to bring back the comments from Cryptid and Alpha Reader but they were just screaming "KING YEOSANG" during this chapter.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always take care of yourselves, stay healthy (or try) and you can find art and shitpost about SBSS on my twitter @_JinHit !  
> Also I'd like to draw some scenes when my deadlines are over, so feel free to comment your fav moments or the things you like!


	20. Chapter 20

Three experimented pirates, two new ones and a church boy. It sounded like a good team, a useful one, but there was a problem.

That ugly animal that surely wasn't a cat.

It had white fur so it was easy to see in the darkness, and it also wasn't too big. 

But it managed to freeze all of them, no one knew what to do.

It didn't make any animal noises, it just repeated what had heard before.

"Should we just kill it?" Mingi finally said.

"Maybe take it with us." Mark replied. "If it just says random things he could give us important information–"

" _ Random things. _ " The animal repeated.

That made the group take some steps back. They didn't know why, the thing was just ugly and creepy.

While the others decided what to do, Jongho offered the confiscated weapons he took before. There was a sword, but for some reason Seonghwa decided to take a gun.

The first thing he did was making sure it had bullets, of course.

Then Yeosang remembered. The sword.

"Oh, you got my girl." Seonghwa said as soon as the prince offered him the weapon. "Perfect."

"Excuse you, we're having an issue here." Mark said.

The animal just sat on the floor.

" _ Random things. _ " It said one more time. Then it looked at the pirate with his empty and soulless gaze. " _ Captain Mark Lee. _ "

The animal managed to get everyone's attention once more.

That wasn't very random, uh. The thing knew well what it was saying.

"Wait, you're a captain?" San asked, amazed.

"Do you understand us?" Jongho said without giving Mark a chance to answer. "Do you have a name?"

"Why the hell do you wanna know–"

" _ Oh! _ " The animal interrupted Seonghwa. " _ I'll call you Vernon Junior! You look like him! _ "

So the thing really understood them and actually had a name. And the most important part, apparently the jailed soldier gave it said name. It was Joshua's voice, no doubt about it.

They didn't know what to do with those facts, Vernon Junior was scaring them to death. They had to move, but ignoring the weird animal was so difficult.

"Maybe– Maybe it will just stay here. I don't think it can fight." Yeosang said, then started to quietly move.

It seemed to work, the rest of the group joined him and started to keep going again. The animal stood there until they couldn't see it, but definitely could hear it.

" _ Captain Mark Lee. _ " It said once more, the voice echoing through the place. " _ Lieutenant Park Seonghwa. _ " Everytime it spoke, it used the voice of a different soldier. " _ Did that bastard escape again? _ "

"Oh, that's me." Mingi said. "I HAVE A NAME! HUH!" He shouted.

"Shut up, idiot." The lieutenant muttered.

Suddenly the animal stopped speaking. It was nice, having those voices behind them wasn't very amusing. But then another sound took Vernon Junior's place.

Iron. Steps. More voices.

Oh no.

"Soldiers." The prince said. "A lot of them, we better hurry up."

"The dance is over." Jongho muttered before starting to run.

They had to find the exit. What was their chance of winning against so many trained guys? Yeosang thought.

Then he realized it wasn't the first time.

All of them started running guided by Mingi, but the lieutenant discreetly became the last one of the line.

He had the sword in hand, of course, he was ready to fight. At some point they would stop running to open the door or window they expected to find, someone had to defend them.

_ Take them with you, my dear Angel of Death. _

The Trickster’s voice sounded in Seonghwa’s head.

Until then the lieutenant was getting ready for the inevitable, but that phrase hitted him like an order. He stopped his steps and turned to look into the darkness of the hall. The soldiers were approaching at a fast pace, faster than the pirates one.

“Hey!” The prince shouted. He was the only one who noticed the other suddenly stopping. “What are you doing?!”

“Keep going!” The blonde’s gaze was fixed on the soldiers that he started to see. “I’ll get you when I end them.”

He raised his sword to point at the enemy, but suddenly someone grabbed his arm. Seonghwa looked back to see the prince, but he was wrong. Yeosang wasn’t the one who grabbed him, it was the blacksmith.

“Not again.” Jongho said in a solemn tone.

The lieutenant didn’t expect it, his expression softened and filled with surprise. The prince was also by their side. The rest of the group kept running and the soldiers were approaching them.

He wasn’t dragging Jongho and Yeosang down with him.

“Agh, let’s go.” Seonghwa finally muttered and started to move again.

On the other side Mingi, San and Mark kept running closer to the exit. The most hesitant one was San, he didn’t really think they could outrun the White Army. How were they supposed to exit the city if they made it out of the palace?

Maybe they should just accept their fate. Maybe San should go back to his death, he wasn’t made to be a pirate. He didn’t even know any navigation song, only religious chantics.

“There it is!” Mingi finally shouted. “The exit!”

There was a huge iron door in front of them. It looked heavy, maybe even Jongho would have it hard to open it. Luckily they had the keys… Huh?

Mingi looked back. The blacksmith wasn’t there.

“Hurry up! We need to open this!” Mark said when he saw the other three far from them. “What are you doing?!”

“Oh no.” San suddenly muttered.

“Huh?” Mingi looked at him, trying to see what happened.

The iron door was making some discreet noise that could only mean one thing, someone was opening it from the other side. Mingi wished for it to be the captain, maybe Wooyoung. Or anyone who wasn’t more soldiers.

But it opened and more soldiers appeared, probably the ones that watched over the city and not the palace.

“We have to hurry, take them down and keep moving!” Mark exclaimed.

“Yes, sir! I mean– captain!”

San replied to the pirate and then moved. He was afraid, he almost accepted death again… but he wasn’t the only one there. The pirates still had hope, and their hope included him staying alive.

He had to try.

The church boy managed to surprise the pirates again when he beat the first of the soldiers with just his fists and legs. Especially the legs.

Jesus, he definitely knew how to fight.

“Okay…” Mingi muttered, trying to convince himself that the other’s fighting skills were normal for a church boy. “There’s no rest until the end, we’re doing this. Choi San, pick a god and pray!”

When he was done talking the pirate charged through the door, taking with him any soldier who was trying to enter the prison.

The other too followed him, of course. 

“We have to reach them!” Jongho shouted then.

They weren’t that far but the blacksmith feared the soldiers could block the exit. Honestly, he and the lieutenant were surprised by how fast Yeosang managed to run in one of those terrible dresses.

“And this time no one stays behind!” He kept screaming at an incredible high volume.

“Well, we are actually behind–”

“You know what I mean, prince!”

“Uh, could you stop calling me that?” He gave himself a moment to catch his breath while running. “I’m no prince now.”

“You still are. You’re just…” The blonde also paused, but in his case it was to find the words. “A runaway prince. Pirate prince? Whatever you prefer.”

"Night Prince was already cool." Jongho added. "I don't think you should change it."

"Ugh." Yeosang almost forgot about that nickname. "I definitely need a new one."

Finally. They finally crossed the door at the end of the prison. The pirates found themselves surrounded by fallen enemies and a clear path of destruction. Luckily the other three were still there–

Well, ‘luckily’ for them to be together again. Not so much if they had to go as fast as possible.

Would they really make it to the Aurora?

Mingi managed to give the rest some time and space, but his anterior wounds weren't fully recovered yet. He was fighting with just a dagger and his pure strength.

Maybe his arms didn't look as dangerous as the blacksmith ones, but the pirate was still a big guy with strong thighs and a lot of fighting experience.

Also, his chaotic energy confused most of the soldiers.

Mingi was definitely earning the respect of his companions there.

But he wasn't the only one fighting.

San was defending himself pretty well, but that was it. He didn't attack anyone who didn't go after him, the church boy didn't really want to hurt anyone.

Why was San so strong if he didn't like violence?

The other side of the coin showed when the rest of the group entered the battle.

Lieutenant Park Seonghwa.

He joined the fight like a hurricane, trying to clear a path for them as fast as possible. He had no doubts, no fear.

For the ones like Yeosang or San, who were used to peaceful lives, it was amazing. Skill and elegance, the blonde was admirable.

But for an experienced pirate like Mingi it was perturbing, so cold. The lieutenant didn't seem a distant and heartless corsaire, what made him become that way on the battlefield?

"KEEP MOVING!" Jongho shouted with all his might.

"WE'RE TRYING!" Mingi answered.

Those two were probably the only ones who could be heard well during the fight.

The soldiers kept coming. How big was the Oxpass guard?

The pirates kept moving, everytime closer to the path that crossed the leafy forest. If they reached the Aurora, Wooyoung and the captain would be of great help.

They all got hurt, but luckily no injury was big enough to stop them.

Those soldiers probably were of low rank, the city didn't really care about the minor pirates.

Everything seemed to work.

The prince was the more endangered one, he still didn't know well how to fight and his outfit was awful for a battle, but Jongho was covering him.

The blacksmith was hella strong and intimidating, some soldiers didn't even dare to approach him.

But then it happened.

Something crossed the battlefield. It was fast and hard to see, also accurate and deadly.

An arrow.

The arrow reached Jongho and stuck in his arm. A scream full of pain escaped from the blacksmith's mouth, he didn't expect a fucking arrow.

There were no soldiers with bows following them, where did it come from?

"Are you okay?!" Yeosang shouted as soon as he saw Jongho's blood flood his clothes.

"I am! Keep going!"

The blacksmith gave himself a moment to look into the direction the arrow came from.

A tower. It was far from them, could someone really reach them from here? There was a guy up there but Jongho couldn't see his face.

That was a dangerous soldier for sure, but he was late. No arrow could stop them.

* * *

“It’s getting late.” Wooyoung said with his gaze fixed on the port. “Why are they taking so long?”

“Don’t be impatient…”

But even if he tried to hide it, Hongjoong sounded even more worried than the boatswain. They had no way to know how the rest was doing, they didn’t know if they would really come back.

The worst part was them having to stay in the Aurora, but their presence would risk the whole mission. The papers with their faces were everywhere.

On the wait they talked, played some cards, trained, cleaned their weapons (again)... but time passed slowly.

Finally something caught their attention, something moved out there and approached the ship.

It was that guy, the port owner.

He didn't get on the ship, he just waved to the pirates with one hand while holding a bottle with the other.

Hongjoong sighed and went to him, maybe he had important info.

"Shouldn't you go to sleep, old man?"

"I don't think I'll be able to." He said, laughing a bit and drinking from the bottle. "I wanna know how the story ends."

"Oh, so you're just curious."

"Of course, captain." Then he offered the drink to the youngest. "You guys got a name, the Aurora pirates have a great future."

Hongjoong wasn't still sure about the strange man and his intentions, but he didn't look like an enemy. Joong took the bottle, cleaned it a bit with his clothes and drinked from it.

The man laughed again.

"Maybe you'll find a place between the great pirates if you make it out alive from Oxpass."

“It would be a pain in the ass.” Hongjoong joked. “More soldiers and idiots after us.”

Then he gave the bottle back to the man. He was about to say something else, but the shrill voice of the boatswain almost scared him to death.

“THEY’RE HERE, CAPTAIN!”

Wooyoung shouted, pointing out to the people who were getting closer to the port. They didn’t seem to be followed by any soldiers or enemies, that was a good sign. When Hongjoong saw them, he felt his heart race.

Thanks to the gods, they were alive.

“Go get some bandages, they seem hurt!”

“YES SIR!”

The silver haired didn’t take a second to go running to the quarters, looking for some bandages or something that could do the job.

Finally the others were close enough for Hongjoong to see them well. Yes, it was them– and two new guys. Really? How hard was it to come back without new people?

But he could ignore it, Seonghwa was with them.

Oh, how he wished to see him again and tell him how sorry he was.

When they arrived at the port something else caught his attention; Jongho. He wasn’t walking on his own, he was being carried on Mingi’s back while the prince held his hand. It wasn’t hard to see the blood invading his clothes.

Oh no.

“Oh shit, Jongho.” Suddenly fear invaded the captain’s voice. “Wooyoung, hurry up!”

Hongjoong went running to them, he was so worried about the blacksmith he almost didn’t notice Seonghwa’s gaze fixed on him.

“Is he alive?! Please tell me he’s alive.”

“He’s okay.” The blonde replied. “Well, not okay, but also not dead.”

Then Hongjoong saw it. Jongho’s back and arms were full of arrows, but none of them seemed to hit a deadly point. Except for the factor that he could bleed to death.

They got to the Aurora and everyone seemed to be worried about the blacksmith. They were going to the quarters to treat him but something made the captain stop his steps.

He looked back and there he was, Seonghwa standing with the new dudes.

“Hi. You’re the captain, right…?” San asked. 

But he got no answer, Hongjoong froze when he felt the blonde looking at him. The lieutenant’s eyes were clearly judging him, waiting for a reaction.

“Anything to say, captain?” He finally spoke.

“Uh, yeah! Of course!” His voice trembled a bit, he didn’t want to screw it up again. “I have a lot to say.”

“Go on.” Seonghwa’s voice sounded colder than usual, something even San and Mark could notice.

“Well, I– I’m really sorry, I know I can’t just–”

He couldn’t say anything else before a deafening sound invaded the port, coming from one of the blonde’s weapons. And some more after it. Shots.

The lieutenant took the weapon Jongho gave him and shot every bullet it had. It didn’t take long until the captain’s clothes were filled with blood and his body fell to the floor, leaving the other two boys more than shocked.

“I kindly accept your apologies.”

“Is… Is this a riot? Did I come here for a riot?” San was horrorized. “Is the blonde the captain now? God I’m not made to be a pirate, should I just–”

“He’ll come back. Don’t worry about it.”

With that said, the lieutenant let the gun fall to the floor next to the captain’s body. He was worried about Jongho, no time to waste waiting for the captain to wake up.

And it left two guys who had no idea about the reviving stuff with– well, that scene.

“Maybe we should’ve stayed in jail.” Mark finally said.

“Right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's curious about Vernon Junior... "Going Seventeen: Seventeen Brain Survival."
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the new chapter! As I always say, take care of yourselves and take a look at my twitter (@_JinHit) for some art and shitpost about my fics!


	21. Chapter 21

It was said that a sweet and charming song guided the dead to the beyond, a honey like voice to make sure the fallen souls were not afraid of their fate.

Well, Captain Kim Hongjoong was tired of the fucking song.

Really, how many times did he die since his journey started?

"That one was fair…" He muttered as soon as he came back to life. "I deserved it."

"Oh, shit."

Hearing a stranger's voice made the captain suddenly open his eyes.

It was him, the new one. San apparently stayed next to Hongjoong's body, when the other suddenly spoke he couldn't avoid falling back, hitting his ass in the wooden deck.

"You– You are–"

"Alive?" The captain said and then slowly (and clearly in pain) stood up. "I am." And then he looked at his clothes for a moment, finally taking off his dear long coat. "But I'll need another one of those."

The coat was absolutely destroyed on the back, the bullets managed to cross Hongjoong's body. What kind of weapon could do that?

Also his blood invaded it, but he was used to washing the blood off his clothes.

Then he looked at the boy. San looked confused, Joong guesses he didn't stay by his side 'cause he was worried. He probably didn't know what to do.

"I am."

"What?" San muttered in response.

"You asked me if I'm the captain. I am." Then he offered his hand to the other, he wanted to help him to get up. "And I assume you're part of my crew now."

"I… I guess I am." San took his captain's hand and got to his feet. "But I don't know anything about navigation or– well, about pirates."

"We'll find your place." 

After saying that Joong started to move, signaling the other to follow him.

Welcome pirate trainee number three, he thought.

They went to the crew's quarters, he needed to check how the rest was doing. The Aurora needed to leave Oxpass as soon as possible, at some point the guard would find them.

There they were, all of them gathered around one of the hammocks.

Jongho was laying on it facing down, of course with a position that allowed him to breathe. His back was exposed, Seonghwa and Yeosang were taking care of his wounds.

He was stable and alive.

"What happened for him to end like this?" Hongjoong asked after making sure the rest noticed him.

"We don't know. There was a pretty awesome archer somewhere." Mingi replied. "But only Jongho got hit by his arrows."

"I guess he wanted to take down at least one of you." Wooyoung said as he approached.

He went looking for some cloth to treat the rest wounds, and he also took Mark to help him. Both boys appeared at the same time, but only one of them caused a strange reaction in San.

"Oh gods." He said as soon as he saw the boatswain. 

To the rest of the crew Wooyoung was more like a tiny irritating cat that somehow was an amazing boatswain, but he hitted different for the church boy.

There he was, that gorgeous tanned and strong boy who was actually looking at him.

Wait. He was looking at him.

"Oh, you're the church boy." Wooyoung said, unimpressed. "What was your name again?"

"San! Choi San!" He shouted, clearly nervous. "I'm thrilled to learn how to be a pirate! I hope we can get along during my new life!"

The boatswain didn't answer, he just nodded a bit, but there was a clear reaction everyone heard; Seonghwa’s facepalm.

"So he suddenly wants to be a pirate." He said.

"I–" San talked again, nervous. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You literally said you weren't meant for this moments ago." Mark added.

"Well, my opinion can change!" Then he looked at the boatswain again. "I… I love your hair! Legends say those born with silver hair are kissed by the gods–"

"Is this how you flirt?" The captain chuckled.

"Pfft–" Wooyoung started to laugh. "So you got us a captain with a nice ass and a church boy with an exquisite taste." Then the boatswain took a better look at San. "And he's kinda triangle shaped. That's good."

"Listen–" Mark said before San could react. "I don't know how many times I tried to–"

"Well!" Seonghwa interrupted him. "We have to move! Right, my captain?" He said in a serious tone.

“Right. Right!” Hongjoong exclaimed. “Jongho is fine now, we need to get out of Oxpass!”

"Got it!" Wooyoung joined. “What’s the course?”

“The course is ‘get away from this city before the Army comes after us’.”

"Please! Just let me–"

"What is the closest island?" Mingi interrupted Mark again.

"HEY!" Finally the prince shouted. Yeosang wasn't the loudest in the crew, it was actually hard for him to scream so it surprised everyone. "Can you let him speak?"

That made everyone stay silent for some seconds, and finally Mark coughed a little as he prepared to speak.

"I'm not– I'm not actually a captain."

"What!? You lied!?" Mingi, the biggest liar, sounded pretty offended.

"I never said I was! But I know where my actual captain can be!" And then he looked at Hongjoong. "I'll guide you there. The island is not on the maps, the Army won't find us."

Then everyone's gaze went to the captain, expecting an answer from him.

He usually would be more careful with the random dude on his ship guiding them to a mysterious place, but it was their only idea.

He didn't get what he actually wanted from Oxpass, he had no clues to follow.

"Sounds like a plan." 

* * *

Rest, finally Yeosang got some rest.

The prince woke up after sleeping for hours, something he really needed. The first thing he did was making sure Jongho was okay.

He was breathing well and not bleeding, still asleep. 

Good.

The second thing he did was taking one hand to his head, noticing then the crown of horns. The night was over.

He didn’t know where Mark was taking them but he had to help the rest of the crew, even if he wasn’t the most skillful one on the ship. He was sure others would love to have a rest.

However he had something else to do before getting back to work. He went to the bag he carried with him in the palace and took something out of it, a book.

“The journey to Ciarmyr…” He muttered reading the title of the story. “The captain will love this, but maybe I should… make sure it’s useful first.”

He opened it, curious. Yeosang just wanted to see how the pages of the book were, just wanted to know what did he steal from the great palace of Oxpass.

Even if it was just a made up story, the book looked expensive. He guessed taking it would be such a pirate thing to do, and he was proud of it.

Oh.

He expected a long ass story with weird and small writing, but he was wrong. The words were clear and easy to read, and there were even some illustrations. A story for childs? No, the cover was too serious and luxurious.

The prince took a deep breath and looked behind him, making sure no one saw him. He was still alone with a sleeping Jongho, no one knew he had the book. He put it back in the bag and made sure no one could casually see it.

Then he got ready to work, but something happened when Yeosang appeared on the deck.

"EEEEEEEEK!"

The shrill sound actually hurt the prince's sensitive ears.

San was the one who made the sound. When Yeosang looked at him the other seemed terrified, like someone who just saw a demon.

Oh.

"Here we go again." The prince said in a disgusted tone.

"Is this why Mingi was so natural with spirits?! You got a bad one here!"

"One more word and I throw him overboard." The prince said while looking at Wooyoung, who was working close to them.

"I'm not gonna stop you, you know." The boatswain replied.

"Okay! Okay, mister demon! I'll be silent!" San said.

"I'm not a demon! I'm human!"

"Uh– I don't mean to offend you but you have–"

"I know I have horns!" Yeo gave himself a moment to regain some peace of mind. "It's a long story. But, please, don't call me a demon again."

San was having a hard time understanding the matter, it was pretty difficult for a church boy to believe that someone with horns, claws and red glowy eyes was a human.

Actually, it would be difficult to believe for anyone.

"Oh!" Suddenly another voice sounded.

It was Mark, who just saw the scene.

He was helping with the navigation, but gave himself a moment to approach the prince. Yeosang was about to throw hands, but the pirate's reaction was pretty different from San's.

"Cool! Are you cursed? What made you turn into this?" He didn't seem scared. Mark didn't talk like he saw a monster, he just sounded curious.

It was respectful curiosity.

"Aren't you– afraid or something? Surprised?" Yeosang asked, though he was the surprised one.

"What? No!" Mark laughed a bit. "Do you know why they thought I was the captain?"

The prince looked at San, expecting him to understand why was the last question related to the curse and horns stuff. But he didn't understand either.

Mark looked around for a moment to make sure him taking a rest wouldn't affect the navigation, then began to speak.

"My captain is like you. Well, not exactly, he has no horns. But he was reached by a magical monster!" 

He sounded pretty excited, even if the actual story was terrorific. Magical beasts were serious business even for the most experimented pirates.

"The magic affected his body and… Poof."

"Did he… Did he get strange abilities?" 

Yeosang asked in quite a soft tone, his voice filled with hope. It didn't sound like the other's captain got cursed the same way as him, but maybe he could help the prince. 

Maybe he knew a way to fix it.

"Yeah! It kinda suddenly appeared one day… but it grew fast in him, like he was turning into a different being."

Uh oh.

The prince was pretty sure he just started discovering those changes. Would it go worse?

"How did this send you to jail?" San asked, curious.

"They kinda wanted him. The captain with the hair of two colors!" Then he signaled at the golden parts of his hair. "So– my crew sacrificed me to save him."

"What?!" Wooyoung exclaimed, making it clear that he was also paying attention to the story.

"Yeah, it fucking sucks. I'll definitely kick some asses when I see them again." He laughed then. He didn’t really sound like a betrayed man. “But, hey, it kinda felt good to be called ‘captain’ for a while.”

“Even when the ugly cat said it?” The prince replied.

“I don’t think it was a cat.” San added.

“What was it then?”

“A demon?”

“Not everything’s a demon, church boy.”

“Hey! I have a name!”

“You called me a demon, I call you church boy.”

“Ahem!” Finally someone interrupted the stupid discussion between San and Yeosang. It was Wooyoung again, who signaled at the captain as soon as he had the others attention.

Hongjoong was staring at them, but not in an angry way. He looked like he was waiting for something.

“Oh, true!” Mark said. “I’m going!” He exclaimed before he went running to the captain.

The Aurora’s crew could follow the course on a map, but finding a tiny island that actually wasn’t on said map was something different. They needed some help from someone who knew how to arrive.

The good thing was, if they were having problems to find it so would the White Army.

“Prince, time to work!” Suddenly Seonghwa shouted through the deck. “Mingi can get some rest!”

“Ah, finally!”

* * *

Creeeek. Luckily the sound of the wood under Jongho’s feet didn’t wake up Mingi, who was sleeping in the hammock next to him.

The blacksmith finally woke up, but it felt like his body weighed twice than normal. The pain was acute and constant, maybe he should just stay in the quarters and keep sleeping.

But he didn’t.

He went out to the deck and found everyone working, some of them less than the others but working after all.

The captain and the lieutenant were kinda distant, but doing their job well. Wooyoung was trying to teach some things to the new one, San, but the church boy seemed to be too focused on the boatswain’s face instead of his job. Yeosang was working on his own, he used to follow every instruction from others instead of focusing on one thing.

And then there was Mark. 

He was pretty skilled, probably an experienced pirate, and from time to time he went to Hongjoong to tell him some random tricks to find the Aurora's destination easily.

None of them noticed the blacksmith, they were too focused on their job.

He definitely should go back to sleep, but instead he directed his gaze to the ocean. There was nothing around them except from some random rocks (where did those even come from?) and the sound of the waves crashing against the ship.

Well, that’s what he thought until he looked to the other side, behind the Aurora.

It didn’t last more than a second, but Jongho was sure he saw something floating in the giant blue of the sea.

“What the hell…?” He muttered, trying to find it again.

It looked like wood, maybe some goods from a boat that crashed against the unexpected rocks. But before he could see it again, someone called his name.

“Jongho! You’re awake!”

It was the captain’s voice, the blacksmith instantly looked at him. Hongjoong signaled for Seonghwa to take the helm so he could approach the youngest member of the crew.

“Are you alright? You shouldn’t be there.” The captain said while looking at the other’s back, trying to make sure it wasn’t bleeding again. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” The blacksmith replied. “Like, I don’t think I can work right now, but I don’t think it’ll go worse if I stay here.”

“Oh.” That was actually good news for Joong. He didn’t like to have the younger one alone down there in his condition. “If you need something–”

“You’re the captain, I won’t bother my captain during his work.”

“I was gonna say you can call the church boy.” Hongjoong laughed a bit. “He doesn’t know shit about navigation and is too focused on Wooyoung’s flat ass. Give him some real work.”

Then both of them looked at San.

Apparently he gave up on learning from Mister Pro Boatswain Wooyoung and just sat on the floor to look at him. He didn’t understand what he was doing with the ropes and all the stuff, but at least it looked like he was trying.

“This one’s gonna give us more work than the prince and– well, you.”

“I’ll keep him entertained.” Jongho chuckled. He actually found cute how San was just sitting on the deck with a confused expression. “I’ll make him talk to me about the gods or something. He should know about that.”

The captain just laughed one more time and patted the blacksmith on the head.

He was probably the only obedient good guy on the ship, or at least he was good at looking like it.

When Hongjoong went back to the helm Seonghwa just nodded and left, a gesture that felt colder than the times Wooyoung jumped to the sea by the beaches during the winter. 

The lieutenant didn’t even say a word, he was just doing his job and obeying his captain.

Joong took a deep breath and then tried to focus on the sea, but another person got his attention instead.

Mark.

No one was sure about where he was guiding the Aurora or what kind of crew he had. Maybe it was a trap, maybe not.

“Crap, this is gonna be a weird trip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!! As always take care of your health and rest well, I hope everyone's doing okay!
> 
> If you wanna see some shitpost and art from my fics check out [my twitter](https://twitter.com/_JinHit) ! See you next week!


	22. Chapter 22

The days passed and the Aurora's crew was slowly filled with calm. No White Army ship attacked them, not even once. The wind blew in their favor. Jongho was recovering well. Even San started to learn the basics about navigation.

It was a silent night when they decided to anchor the ship next to a small island, only so they could rest well.

Most of them were asleep, but not the captain.

He was on his quarters, taking a look at the huge map and the course they were following. He marked their destination since it didn't originally appear on the map.

What was that island? Mark called it 'Future Island' before, he said it was where his crew hid from time to time. Their own small town.

It was probably just a camp, Hongjoong thought.

Finally he took a deep breath and started walking towards the door, his plan was to get a small walk by the beach. He should sleep, yeah, but he had a lot of things to figure out.

Once he was on land he directed his gaze to the Aurora. He loved his ship with all his might, but some days a lot of ideas crossed his mind. There was something on it that didn't work for him, maybe the dark and muted colors.

The black sails were the most important part. It was cool, but he needed more. He needed something that made it clear it was the Aurora, not any pirate ship.

"Maybe orange? Orange is a great color." He muttered to himself.

"Orange is cool." Someone replied.

"Right?"

It took Hongjoong some seconds to realize it, he thought he was the only one awake. He slowly started to turn back to look behind him.

There he was, standing next to him with a calm gaze and a bag on his hands, Yeosang.

When did he get there? Why was he awake? How the fuck didn't he notice?

The prince just waved at him with one hand while holding the bag with the other.

"You should rest, captain."

"You too."

They both looked at each other. They knew well none of them would go to sleep.

Finally Yeosang sighed and offered the bag to his captain.

Hongjoong took it, confused, and kept staring at the prince. He needed an explanation.

"I found it in the palace’s library. I wanted to read it first, to make sure it was relevant…"

Then the captain opened the bag and found the expensive-looking book. He didn't understand well at first, but then he saw the name of the story.

"Ciarmyr…" It took him a few seconds to process it. He looked at the prince, at the book, then at the prince again. "Wait– This is it! That's what I needed!"

"Actually, it's just an old story. I don't know–"

Yeosang couldn't keep speaking when the other suddenly hugged him. It lasted short, but even when the captain released him and started looking at the pages of the book, Yeosang stayed silent.

It felt weird. Weird but nice.

He liked it.

"Did you read it? What is it about?" Hongjoong said.

"Uh, yeah…" Yeosang was actually relieved, he thought maybe the other would get angry knowing he hid the book from him. "It's a story about a man who was looking for Ciarmyr."

"The heart of Ciarmyr." The captain corrected in a soft tone. "Those who reach the heart of Ciarmyr will make their biggest desire into reality!"

Yeosang was actually amazed. It was mentioned in the story, but the other actually knew. That was what Hongjoong wanted.

"There's a lot of stories, but the adventurers mentioned always face a failure." The captain kept talking. "How far did the one here go?"

"He actually made it."

The prince's answer managed to surprise Hongjoong. It was the first time the story ended like that.

"It's about a man who was born a slave… He ran away looking for his desire, his treasure." Yeosang started explaining the story, trying to match the captain's expectations. "He found it, but the journey took everything from him. It doesn't say where it is, though."

“This is–” He started to say, then looked back at the book. “This is weird. All I’ve seen about Ciarmyr are religious maps and legends… None of them focused on the adventurers.”

Then the captain opened the book to a random page. It had some text, but the most important part was a huge illustration. It looked old and would easily fit into some church documents.

It was one of the last pages, the man he assumed to be the protagonist was clearly in pain, but he had no wound. He had black hair and a scar crossing his right eye, but the most important thing were the waves surrounding him and hiding him from the light.

When the church portrayed someone away from the light it was probably someone they thought was evil.

“You studied, right?” He suddenly said. “Do you know things about the church?”

“You have someone better on your ship, captain. He’ll know more than me.”

“That boy was pretty shocked when Jongho asked about the gods of the sea, I don’t think I should–”

“What? Why?”

“Huh?” The captain finally looked at the prince. “The gods of the sea are considered– You know, the bad ones. They protect the enemies of the church.”

“Oh.” Yeosang didn’t know it, actually. “That’s why they’re barely mentioned in the books.”

“Yeah. And I need to know who else the church hates enough to portray him on the dark side like this.” Then he showed the illustration to the other.

“Any non human? Magic? Literally anything that doesn’t like them?”

“Yeah, yeah. I need more stories about this guy.” Once again Hongjoong took a look at the man pictured in the book. “This– This is good. Maybe his story can guide me.”

“Us.” The prince corrected the other. “Guide us.”

* * *

The night passed, the crew rested well and the Aurora was on the high seas again. They were close to their destination, soon the crew would discover if Mark was being a good guy or leading them to a trap.

They were all ready for the trap, though. 

They saved his life, yeah, but he was still a pirate. And his crew sold him without mercy, he probably wasn't better than them.

At some point Hongjoong got to kill two birds with one stone and told San to keep an eye on Mark. They kinda forged a bond in jail, a bond made of awkward silence and desperation.

"Will you tell me today?" Jongho asked.

He was still recovering from his wounds, so the blacksmith decided to join San and follow the other all the time. At some point Mark just accepted it, he got used to his new fleas.

"I don't talk about the evil forces." San finally responded.

"You're a pirate now!" Jongho pouted. "And me too! We must know about the pirates' gods!"

"But that's–" San was about to complain one more time. But he didn't. "I actually don't know a lot about them."

"Oh?! You were just avoiding the question?!"

"No! I mean– Maybe!"

"You really don't know shit about them."

"Hey! I know some things!" Then he paused. "But not a lot, only the basics."

"Okay, dude, you're giving me a headache." Mark finally interrupted the conversation. He was trying to relax during his rest, but the other two made it impossible. "You guys really don't know the gods of the sea?"

"I do!" San sounded hurt. "They're the seven evil forces that protect the criminals!"

"You're a criminal now. You should respect them." Jongho added.

"Okay, okay…" Mark took a deep breath. "At least you know there's seven of them."

Then he sat on the floor, expecting the other two to do the same. He was the same age as San, but it felt like a tired guy and his two children.

Finally the three of them were on the deck's floor, on a side that wouldn't get in the crew's way.

"We respect all of them, but usually each pirate choses one god as their guide." Then he looked at the rest for a moment. "It depends on your goals, the kind of life you want."

"Which one do you worship?" Jongho asked in a soft tone, looking at the rest of the crew too.

"Hah?" Mark gave himself a moment to think. "For me it's the Storm."

"Isn't he the death?" Mark said. "The Storm is the god of the sunken, the fallen. He's the image of death."

"And that's why you should respect him!"

"You just– You pray to the one you fear the most." The blacksmith sounded pretty disappointed. "How boring."

Mark didn't say anything, he just felt incredibly attacked.

"Hey, San." He kept speaking. "Who will you choose? Who should I choose?"

"I don't think it works like that. You don't  _ choose  _ one, you just feel guided to them." He replied. "It's not like– Oh, this one looks cool, he's hot! No, you should–"

"He has to choose me, how poetic." Jongho laughed then. "But I don't even know them."

"Well, there's–" The church boy started to explain like he suddenly forgot his prejudices. "There's the Charmer, the Storm, the Sunshine…"

He was counting with his fingers. Seeing that he probably forgot, Mark spoke again.

"The Catastrophe, the Wind, the Trickster and the Future." Then he nodded a bit, proud of himself. "That's them."

"I already forgot, okay" Jongho replied. "But the future sounds good. It sounds like he won't kill me."

"I mean, he's a pretty nice guy in the stories." Mark added. 

He was about to ask San about the one he liked the most, but the church boy still seemed pretty uncomfortable with them. 

When Mark directed his gaze to the crew with the only intention of avoiding San's, he saw the captain calling him.

Again.

He fastly got to his feet and looked at the ocean, the other two boys did too.

There it was, a huge island in front of them. But it didn't look like an island, though. There was no beach, no port. A rock wall emerged from the ocean instead, following the outline that should be white sand.

The brownish stone reached for the sky, being interrupted only by the waterfalls that came from the top of it.

"Ah, there it is!" Mark sounded happy, ignoring the crew's confusion. "We're here!"

"What the hell is this?!" Hongjoong said, signalling to the giant mass of pure rock. "How are we supposed to get up there?!"

"We don't go up, captain!" Then Mark signaled to the biggest one of the waterfalls. "We're crossing it!"

"Are you crazy?!" Wooyoung shouted then. "The water's force gonna crush us!"

"Dude, just– Just trust me one last time!"

"We're gonna die if we do!" Seonghwa joined the shouting party.

But they didn't have a lot of time to react, they were getting closer to the waterfall and the whole ship started to tremble. Some were expectating, some accepted their cruel fate. 

But one of them saw something strange.

Yeosang. At first he hated the idea of the Aurora and the crew being destroyed by a giant waterfall, but as soon as they got closer he saw something peculiar. The water didn't actually feel like water, it was weird but he knew it wasn't a natural thing.

But he was the only one who saw it. Maybe he was just imagining things, so he didn't say anything about it.

Suddenly there was no escape, the Aurora's course was straight to the water's force and no one could change that. The captain grabbed the helm with all his might, the crew prayed to any god they could remember, Mingi screamed… And Wooyoung held the lieutenant’s hand.

Seonghwa didn't question it, he just kept looking at the waterfall in front of them.

"If your god saves you from this, find mom and tell her I love her." Wooyoung muttered.

"We're not gonna die." Seonghwa replied, laughing a bit. Oh, his god wouldn't save shit.

Finally all of them closed their eyes, except for Mark. They expected the water to crush them and the ship.

But nothing happened. They didn't even feel wet, there was no water falling on their heads.

Mingi kept screaming, though.

"I told you, everything's fine!" Mark shouted.

The first one to open his eyes was Yeosang. He was right, it wasn't water. From inside the waterfall he could see the fake liquid break through their bodies and the Aurora. It was a weird energy he wasn't familiar with.

"Magic?" He muttered.

"Welcome to Future Island!" The other shouted again, like he was happy to be home.

Finally all of them opened their eyes and Mingi went silent, all of them could see the inside of the weird waterfall. They were crossing a huge moon gate and getting through the giant wall of stone.

Once the Aurora crossed all the fake water they were able to see what was behind it.

Not too far from them there was the island's beach, but it wasn't deserted as they expected. There were some ships anchored close to land, but no pirate in sight.

"What is this place…?" Hongjoong finally managed to say.

It didn't take long for them to join those ships and get their feet on land.

In front of the beach there was a huge forest, pure and fresh green all over the way, but it had an opening. There was a path marked with wooden boards and Mark didn't doubt a second to approach it.

The Aurora's pirates stared at each other for a while.

"Will we leave the ship alone?" Hongjoong said.

"We didn't come here to step back now." Wooyoung added.

"Am I the only one who fears this can be a trap?" San spoke too.

"We all do, church boy." Mingi replied.

"I'll crush him if he betrays us." Jongho said confidently.

"No crushing! You're hurt, you have to rest." The captain talked again.

"I can just–" Seonghwa started to explain. Then he made some gestures implying to clearly stab someone. "You know."

"HEY!"

Suddenly Mark's voice broke the moment. He was waiting in the entrance of said path, and for some reason Yeosang was with him.

"Is he bold or is he just stupid?" The blacksmith said when he saw the prince.

"Okay, we're going." The captain finally said. "If something bad happens, it's on me.”

The rest of the crew just went silent, except for the lieutenant.

“I’ll take your word.”

After saying it the blonde took some steps forward, instantly followed by the captain and then Wooyoung. Finally Jongho joined, leaving the other two staring at the suspicious path in the forest.

“You go first.” Mingi said.

“Ah?! Why me?! You’re the pirate now!” San replied, grabbing the other’s arm with both hands.

“I’ll make sure no one attacks us from behind! That's why!”

“...” San looked at the other in the eyes, trying to see if he was lying. There was no doubt in Mingi’s eyes. “Okay. I guess it makes sense.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” He was indeed lying.

Finally they joined the rest and they started to follow Mark. They didn’t know what to expect, didn’t imagine what could wait for them at the end of the path.

Well, they did imagine some things, none of them were good.

They couldn’t think a lot about it until Seonghwa stopped his steps. 

“What’s wrong?” The captain was the first one to notice.

“There’s someone.” He muttered, trying to find a sound, anything that told him where the stranger was. “Probably enemies.”

“What?” Mark stopped his steps too. “That’s not– There’s no enemies here, maybe you just heard a wild rabbit.”

“It sounded pretty big.” The blonde added.

“Maybe it’s a pretty big rabbit.” Jongho said, laughing a little. “Maybe you’re just paranoid. You had to survive against those monsters.”

The blonde gave himself a moment to think, breathe and calm down. The blacksmith was probably right. He nodded a bit and kept walking along with the rest of the pirates.

But then he heard it again, and judging by Hongjoongs face he wasn’t the only one.

“There’s someone here, Seonghwa’s right.”

As soon as he heard his captain’s words the lieutenant unsheathed his sword.

“Are you– Are you serious?” Mark sounded pretty nervous. “Oh god, I hope they’re fine–”

He couldn’t finish talking before someone gave him a hard blow in the head. The culprit came out of the woods in a moment and made the pirate hit the floor, then pointed at the rest with his weapon. The most peculiar thing about him was his hair, red like pure blood.

The weapon was just a hella long stick, he probably used some martial arts to fight.

“What are you doing here, impostors?” He finally said.

“Impostors?” The captain sounded offended, then he directed his gaze to the rest of the crew. “Who is faking it? Mingi? Are you an impostor? A fake Mingi?”

“What? No!”

He shouted more than the stranger expected, making him narrow his eyes a bit.

Hongjoong was about to say something else, but then he saw another enemy. God, he was pretty big, even taller than Mingi. He also looked pretty strong, the captain suddenly felt like he was the tiniest man ever.

The rest of the crew didn’t notice him until they heard his voice.

“Dude, he’s talking about him.” Then he signaled at Mark. “Our boy is dead. He’s the impostor.”

“WHAT?” Mark shouted from the ground, his face against the wood. “JOHNNY? DO YOU GUYS REALLY THINK I’M DEAD–”

Then he received another blow from the first boy.

“Shut up, impostor! I won’t let you dirty Mark’s name!”

“Oh, they are idiots.” Seonghwa said, lowering his weapon. Until then the blonde and his crewmates were just enjoying the show, watching how those boys just trashed their dear Mark, but he was getting impatient. “You just beated the shit out of your friend. What a welcome party.”

The two guys looked at each other for a moment, then at the one who was on the floor, then at each other again.

“Did you just–” The one Mark called Johnny was clearly holding back the laughter. “Oh god, you almost killed him, Yuta.”

“Oh, shit.” The red haired one suddenly let the weapon fall to the floor. “Mark?!”

“Uhm…” San approached Wooyoung then. “Is this the kind of adventure you always live?” He muttered.

“Usually it’s more dangerous and less– You know.” He signaled at the red haired, Yuta, who was making sure he actually didn’t kill Mark.

Then they felt how the big guy put each hand on one of their shoulders.

“So…” He said, looking at San and Wooyoung since they were the ones talking. “Who the hell are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Oh my god Wooyoung just broke his neck looking up. He's dead."  
>  -Cryptid Reader when Johnny talked to him.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed today's chapter! As always, take care of your health and I hope you're all okay! If you want some updates, art and shitpost about my fics check out [my twitter](https://twitter.com/_JinHit) !  
> Also this week I start my classes again, I'll try my best to keep updating every Saturday but I can't promise anything :')
> 
> See you next week!


	23. Chapter 23

"So… You guys saved him?"

The red haired, Yuta, kept his gaze fixed on the Aurora’s crew as he guided them. They got to explain the situation and convinced those guys to not fight them, so they were moving again.

All of them were walking except for that poor guy, Mark, who was being carried in his crewmate's arms. Johnny was the last on the line, a bit far from the group while he talked to his almost fainted friend.

At first it made some of the pirates suspicious, maybe he would attack them from the back or something.

But time passed, nothing happened and they seemed… friendly.

"Yeah, well. He kinda saved us." Mingi said. "Are you used to escaping from jail?"

"Uh– I guess. Yeah." Yuta laughed a bit, an uncomfortable laugh. "But the thing is, he told us Mark was dead."

"I don't know who  _ he _ is–" San spoke then. "But Mark's alive and right here. Whoever told you, lied."

"Maybe he just assumed the Army killed him." Yeosang joined. "It wouldn't be a wild guess."

"Hm…" Yuta didn't say anything else, he just kept walking in silence. It looked like he was getting a bit lost in his own thoughts.

"They sold him to save their ass." Hongjoong muttered as soon as the rest went silent. "It's obvious."

"Yeah. It's something pirates do a lot." Seonghwa replied, looking sideways at his captain. "You know it well."

"Oh, come on." Then the captain signaled at the rest of the crew. "I really wanted to save your pretty ass, but I couldn't let them–"

"Joking. I was joking." The blonde laughed a bit, then took a faster pace to create some distance between them. "I don't blame you for that. Only for– You know, everything else."

"I–" Hongjoong started to speak, but it seemed useless. 

He stopped his steps and saw the rest keep moving, at least until the big guy's voice sounded behind him.

"Oh, drama." Johnny sounded pretty amused. "Do you need a romantic counselor?"

"No– What? No, I don’t need it, gods." Joong looked back, but at his height he could only see the one who was being carried in Johnny's arms. He finally lost consciousness, or maybe he was just resting on his friend’s arms. Then he looked up. "I'm fine. I fucked up, he needs time, I'll wait."

"Hm…" Then the other started walking again. "Fine, I guess."

"You–" The captain started walking too. "You just wanted the gossip, didn't you?"

"What? I'm a kind soul, I really wanted to help." Then he laughed a bit. "Well, maybe."

It didn’t take long until Hongjoong and Johnny (and Mark) were with the rest of the group again, and only some minutes passed until they saw another of those weird plant curtains cutting the path.

"This is the last one." The red haired said, then directed his gaze towards the Aurora's pirates. "If you lied and dare to betray us–"

"Yuta." Johnny's voice interrupted the other.

The red haired gave himself some seconds to breathe, then spoke again.

"Okay. Aurora's pirates– You guys really need a name, it's weird calling you like your ship." Then rubbed his eyes a bit. "Whatever. Aurora's pirates, welcome to our home."

Then he took the long plants and moved them aside, making an entrance for their guests. The first one to cross it was Yeosang, followed by Wooyoung and San.

The prince didn’t know well what he expected to find, but that sure wasn't it. 

It was a camp, yes, but it was huge. There were a lot of enormous tents, fireplaces and wooden handmade tables. 

It was basic, nothing luxurious, but those guys really worked on their  _ home. _ He really admired it, it felt like an amazing place to be.

The pirates living there– He didn't know why, but he knew they had something he always wanted.

Freedom.

When he noticed he was daydreaming, the rest of the group was deeper in the place and he was standing alone.

He went running to them, a bit nervous because of the unknown pirates staring at him.

"So… we need your captain's permit to be here." Jongho's words were the first thing Yeosang heard. "What if we don't get it?"

"Then we'll have to kill you!" Johnny said in such a happy tone. "I'll try to make it fast, don't worry!"

"Oh shit, what a miserable pirate adventure I had." San said, worried.

"He's joking." Yuta clarified. "You’ve brought Mark back, the captain will let you stay."

The murder jokes kept going while they crossed the pirate’s camp, maybe the Aurora’s crew was too trustful of those strangers.

The prince stayed at the end of the line, and at some point Jongho joined him. The blacksmith wasn’t interested in all the serious business, Hongjoong would be the one to talk with the other’s captain afterall.

“Too wild for you?” Jongho said. “It’s clearly not a palace.”

“It’s better than a palace.” The prince instantly replied. He didn’t sound mad, rather he was amazed by the place. “There’s no walls of cold stone, only the hard work of–”

Then he looked around them. How many people lived there? There were a lot of tents, maybe one for each crewmember? It was a real luxury compared with the shared cabin from a ship. At first he tried to count every new guy he saw, but he was easily distracted by Jongho’s laugh.

What was he laughing about? Actually Yeosang didn’t care, the blacksmith’s laughter felt like a warm fireplace during a cold winter.

“HEY!” Suddenly Wooyoung shouted, as usual, looking at them.

The group stopped their steps and then Yeosang and Jongho saw why, they were in front of a log cabin. It felt weird, the rest of the camp had cloth tents but suddenly they built a tiny wooden house. Was it the captain’s ‘tent’?

“Only Johnny and two of you will come inside.” The red haired said. “And you’ll be one.”

Then he signaled at Hongjoong. He knew it, he had to speak with that guy so they could stay for a while. At least until they knew where to go next.

But who should go with him? He had a clear option, but when he directed his gaze to him it changed. Seonghwa was shaking his head, he didn’t want to go inside.

Then he looked at Wooyoung for a moment, but it didn’t last more than a second. He was good at making friends, but Joong wasn’t sure if the estrident silver haired was his best choice.

The captain was about to ask the boatswain, but then a soft voice spoke.

“I’ll go.”

Yeosang. The prince raised his hand a little like he was asking for permission. But, huh, those who weren’t used to it just saw a guy with creepy and pointy black claws wanting to approach their captain.

They could feel in Yuta’s face his doubt about letting the prince in, he didn’t even know what he was.

“Okay then! The three of us and the sleeping beauty!” Johnny said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “You guys can follow Yuta to your– uh… temporal tent!”

“You’ll give us a tent? We just randomly appeared here.” Seonghwa said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“If you guys want to kill us–” Wooyoung started to say.

“If we wanted to kill you, you would already be dead.” The red haired interrupted. “Just follow me.”

Then he started walking again, didn’t even look back to make sure he was being followed. The Aurora’s crew just looked at their captain.

“Go ahead. We’ll be fine.” Hongjoong said. He wasn’t sure about it, tho, but had to look like it.

When they obeyed and followed Yuta, only the captain and the prince remained by Johnny’s side. The guy was tall, strong and full of scars, but somehow looked friendly and helped them to avoid a lot of questions.

Joong wanted to ask why, but the answer was in front of him.

The unconscious boy he still carried in his arms, Mark sure meant a lot to them.

“Let’s go then.” Hongjoong finally said.

“After you.” Johnny replied, since he was holding his teammate and had no hands to open the curtain that covered the cabin’s door.

The captain took a deep breath and then, after making sure Yeosang was ready too, he crossed the curtain.

* * *

Yes, they had a tent, a big one. However, it was empty.

The red haired showed them and then left, it felt like he really wanted to do something and had no time to waste on the Aurora’s crew. So they had a huge good place to stay but nothing to sleep on, but maybe they were being too picky.

“So… what’s the plan?” Mingi broke the silence and sat on the floor, a floor covered more of those wooden boards. It wasn’t a perfect job but it was better than sand and stones. “We just stay here until we decide what to do? Isn’t that weird?”

“We had a plan we can’t follow anymore.” Wooyoung replied, joining the other on the floor. “The captain needs to clear up his mind.”

“Also this place is well hidden, I don’t think the army will find us.” Seonghwa added. “If those guys really are friendly, it’s such a great chance to think calmly.”

“So we’ll sleep on the floor, inside a tent, surrounded by pirates that could be friendly or not.” San spoke too. “I miss Oxpass. I miss the church.”

“They sended you to jail. To your death.” Mingi said, judging the other a bit. “A bit of danger won’t be worse than being in jail ‘cause they thought you were possessed.”

“Shut up. I just–”

“Why did they even think that? Was it your hair?”

“No! What’s wrong with my hair?!”

“Uh, nothing.”

“I mean–” Wooyoung joined the conversation. “It’s cool but it’s still weird.”

“You have silver hair!” San said in a childish tone.

“Kissed by the gods, remember?! Silver hair is cool!”

“Still weird.” Mingi muttered.

“Well, well!” The church boy pointed at Mingi, still on his feet and clearly offended. “At least it wasn’t my ex who brought me to jail!”

Then suddenly Mingi started to cough like he just swallowed a fly, and for some seconds it was the only sound inside the tent. The rest were staring at each other, all of them had the same question.

“He said  _ ex. _ ” Jongho said.

“ _ Ex _ what?” Seonghwa joined. “Ex teammate? Ex enemy?”

“We all know what he meant.” Wooyoung said while trying to hold his laughter.

“He’s not–” Mingi finally reacted, hitting his chest with one hand to try stopping the unexpected cough. “He’s not my ex! Gods where did you get it from?!”

“You almost cried when he left! You made a whole drama about the old times and what you meant to–”

“Okay, okay!” Mingi interrupted the church boy. “Maybe I overreacted a little but he’s–” He went silent for a moment, trying to regain some calm. “We were just friends.”

“Who the hell is he talking about?” Wooyoung was probably the most clueless man in the room. “Why did he meet you ex and I was in the ship hearing the captain’s sorrow?”

“Oh!” Jongho finally understood. “Was it the guy who gave us the keys? Your ex is a soldier?”

“Can you stop calling him ‘my ex’? I already said–”

“A soldier gave you the keys?” Once again, Wooyoung. “You really had it easy.”

“Uh, no? My back still hurts, you idiot.” The blacksmith suddenly sounded intimidating.

“GUYS.”

The lieutenant’s sudden scream managed to scare almost all of the presents. He looked serious and concerned, like he was trying to understand something.

“I’m gonna ask some questions. I want only an answer from the person I’m asking.” Then he looked at Jongho. “Which soldier are you talking about?”

“Uh… You know, the tall guy. The pain in the ass. The reason why I’m here.” He sounded like the answer was something obvious. “His name was Yunho, huh?”

“Yunho.” The blonde then looked at another person, at Mingi. He bit his lip a bit before talking, he looked frustrated. “Song Mingi. That’s your full name, right?”

“Oh gods why are you so serious.” Mingi muttered, he was starting to be a bit afraid of the other.

“Are you– No.” He shaked his head a bit. “Were you his friend?”

It took him a couple of seconds to nod, he said nothing.

“Okay.” The blonde kept staring at Mingi. “Can you say you know him well?”

“I– I guess? It’s been some years but–”

“One last question.” The lieutenant interrupted him. “Is he related to your knowledge about the masked spirits?”

“What?!” Wooyoung suddenly screamed, he didn’t expect the question.

And he wasn’t the only one. How was the soldier related to the spirits and all the possession stuff? Seonghwa didn’t need to explain it, he knew well what he saw when he was alone with Yunho back then. He remembered every scar, every annoying blue butterfly that landed on the soldier’s body.

And also he knew well what he was seeing then, Mingi’s expression.

The soft fear that invaded him moments before was nothing compared to his face then, he was terrified. Didn’t even know what to say, Mingi had no lies ready for that question.

“He is.” Seonghwa finally said, sighing. “I’m not gonna ask what happened with the two of you, but if he’s dangerous you should tell us.”

“Wait! WAIT!” Wooyoung was confused. Much more than confused. “YOUR EX IS A POSSESSED SOLDIER?!”

* * *

Hongjoong entered the log cabin expecting a room like his own in the Aurora, maybe a better bed, but it wasn’t. There wasn’t anyone inside, just a pair of wooden tables and some tools and bandages.

When the three pirates were inside, Johnny approached one of the tables and left the unconscious boy on it.

“He should be there soon.” 

“Wait, wait. Your captain isn’t here yet?” Joong said.

“We found some random guys in the forest, dude. We just sended someone to tell him to come here, give him some time.”

“So, this place…” Yeosang muttered like he didn’t care about the conversation around him. “What is it?”

“Oh. This is where we treat our injuries. You know.”

“It’s made of wood to protect those who are hurt.” Hongjoong finally understood. “So it’s not where the captain sleeps.”

“What?” Johnny chuckled. “I really don't care, but some people here would lynch him if he had a better tent than us. Like, it’s okay on a ship, but this is our city.”

“I don’t think this camp can be called a city.” The prince spoke again.

“Hey. We’re working on it.”

It looked like the tallest one was about to tell them their future plans for the island, but then the door’s curtain suddenly opened.

What kind of man led those weird pirates? The only information they had about him were Mark’s words, the captain with the hair of two colors.

And he had indeed the hair of two colors, and it wasn’t something like black and blonde like some people. It was white and red, half and half. Those were some weird colors, it didn’t feel natural. Even less than silver or pure blond.

Besides that, he had dark eyes and some scars on his face, but nothing too big. He was close to their age too, probably.

“Captain!” Johnny said in a cheerful tone. “Uh, those are our guests. And our lost boy.”

“Oh gods, he’s truly here.” He approached Mark to make sure he was okay. “Why did he faint? What happened?”

“Actually, ah–”

“That’s not our fault.” Hongjoong said, showing his hands as a sign of innocence. “Your crew did all the work.”

“What? What did you do to him?” Then he looked at Johnny, but the other only shrugged. “Well, thank you for bringing him to us…”

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” Joong said, laughing a bit. “Oh, where are my manners?”

Then he offered one of those hands to the other as a salutation.

“My name’s Hongjoong, I’m the Aurora’s captain.”

“The Aurora.” He said, surprised, then corresponded to the gesture. “I’ve heard about you. You can call me Taeyong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still here,,, Sorry for the delay, I'll try my best to keep updating between work and class! Hope you enjoyed today's chapter!
> 
> As always, remember to take care of your health and rest well! See you on the next chapter!


	24. Chapter 24

Silence invaded the place while Taeyong made sure his crewmate was okay, making the Aurora’s pirates stand behind him without saying a word, waiting.

But, oh, their thoughts were going fast.

The more impatient one was Yeosang, he was fascinated by the other’s hair. It definitely wasn’t natural, the story about him was true. Maybe he had the answer in front of him, maybe he could find a cure for his curse.

On the other side, Hongjoong had no hurry. His thoughts were a bit far from the pirate in front of them, he was thinking about the old book and the story it told. The black haired traveler who conquered Ciarmyr. Who was he? Joong needed a name, a way to know more about him and his journey. He needed a course to follow.

Finally Taeyong turned to look at them but only the prince noticed, it took Hongjoong a few seconds to react.

"So… the Aurora's pirates are my guests now, right?" He said, directing his gaze to the captain.

"He brought us here. Well, rather the opposite, we were just helping him–"

"It's fine." Taeyong interrupted Joong. "You can stay, I need no excuses."

"Easy." Yeosang muttered, he expected a negotiation between captains.

"Oh, but you'll have to help with the daily tasks! I bet your crew can work well."

"Uh…" Hongjoong gave himself a moment, thinking about the clumsy idiots he had on his ship. "Yeah, sure. Sounds fair."

"Any rules?" The prince asked. He knew well guests had rules to follow, it didn't matter if you were a noble or a pirate. "I'm sure you have some."

"Oh, yeah, the rules!" Taeyong just looked at his crewmate. "Johnny, the rules!"

"Ah?" He was there, taking care of the fainted boy while the rest talked, he didn’t expect it to go that way. "Uh, let’s see… Don’t kill teammates, don't eat your partner's food and– don't touch the captain's pond."

"Exactly!"

"That's so basic." Hongjoong said.

"What about the pond?" Yeosang added.

"Also, didn't you  _ almost  _ kill a teammate?" The captain spoke again. "Isn't it against the rules? It's stupid, pirates have to make sacrifices to–"

"Yeah, yeah. Only allowed if necessary, you know." Johnny explained.

"I suppose an exchange for the captain is necessary." Yeosang muttered.

He was about to say something else, but he looked up and saw Taeyong and Johnny with their expressions full of confusion. They looked at each other after some seconds without saying a word.

Oh, so they didn't know about it.

"They sold Mark for you– They left him to die and you didn’t know?" Hongjoong said, also surprised. "How the hell–"

Taeyong rubbed his eyes a bit, thinking about what to do.

"Johnny, go find him and make him explain himself." He ordered in a serious tone.

The other just nodded and left. Who were they talking about? Probably the same guy Yuta mentioned, the one who told them Mark was dead.

Whatever, it wasn't their business.

"You can go too." Taeyong said. "Please, ignore this… inconvenience. Your crew should be easy to find."

"Oh, they sure are." Hongjoong laughed, then made a discrete reverence to the other and walked towards the door.

But the prince didn’t follow.

"Yeosang?"

"I have some questions for him." He replied.

Taeyong stared at the prince for a couple of seconds, he could easily imagine what the other wanted to talk about. He didn't see a boy with those features everyday.

He finally nodded, a signal that he accepted.

"Uh…" Hongjoong took a deep breath. "Fine. Come with us when you're done, okay?"

"Sure, captain."

"..." Joong wasn't sure about it. That guy was being too kind with them and the prince wasn't the best one to defend himself from a trap. "I'll see you there. Wherever they are."

Then he crossed the door's curtain while Yeosang waved at him, much more relaxed than the captain.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, the prince was trying to organize his ideas and the other had no problem in waiting.

"You– Your hair, uh…" Yeo started to mutter.

Taeyong said nothing, still waiting for some proper words. He didn't want to put pressure on the other.

"Can you help me?" The prince finally asked. "I don't know how to get rid of this."

"Prince Kang Yeosang from Ethia." The other started to say, approaching him. "I never thought someone like you would need my help, and this is the second time."

He laughed a bit, then got his hand on the prince's face. He carefully moved his lip to see the sharp fangs invading his mouth, something quite weird for Yeosang.

"I don't think we're affected by the same thing." Taeyong kept speaking. "Can you tell me a bit more?"

"Ngh–" Yeosang took the other's hand with his own to get it far from his mouth. "My father killed some fairies and they cursed my ass."

"Weird." The captain said, cleaning his hand on his own clothes. "People think magical creatures are savages, but their justice is way better than ours. They don't usually curse an innocent."

Yeosang just raised an eyebrow.

"Unless– Uh, sure, unless they are evil creatures. You’re clearly innocent and–" He signaled at the prince's horns, trying to fix the mess.

"I am innocent." He said, offended by Taeyong's little moment of doubt. "If you're just gonna judge me–"

"No! No, no, please, I didn’t want to." He sounded nervous. "I don't think I can fix it, but maybe…"

"Maybe?"

Yeosang's hope was going and coming with his words. Did he know something or not? Was he just pretending to know? Wanted to give him false hopes?

"I can't make the curse disappear, as you see" He signaled at his hair. "but I learned to take advantage of it."

"..." 

So he was still a monster, Yeosang thought. He would still have to hide, he would keep hearing bullshit like the church boy calling him a demon.

But if the other could teach him to  _ use  _ the curse, he could become more helpful for the crew. Yeosang really wanted to find his place on the ship, find a way to help those who gave him freedom.

"I'm listening." He finally replied.

Taeyong seemed pleased, something weird since the prince was the one asking for help. Yeosang should be the one happy about the deal.

"When this happened to me I was confused, afraid…" The captain started to explain. "But I found someone who helped me, someone who gave me the knowledge I needed."

“You found a master? A magical master? Where the fuck did you–”

“I’m trying to sound nice and inspirational here, could you let me finish?” He said. “And no, I did not find a magical master.”

* * *

“I mean, a possessed soldier ex is not the worst kind of ex to have.” Hongjoong said after listening to the new information. "Didn't Wooyoung have a soldier friend too?"

"Uh, yeah?" The silver haired sounded offended. "But he's not my ex. And he's definitely not possessed."

"Wait, wait. You have a soldier friend?" Mingi said, probably trying to change the conversation's subject.

"I have a lot of friends."

"Our social butterfly." Seonghwa laughed.

"A soldier, a cultist… Even a chef!"

"Why– Why is the chef the worst one?" Jongho sounded genuinely afraid of it. "What does he cook to be worse than a cultist?"

"Oh, you'll meet Binnie someday." The boatswain was so proud of his friends. "He's a nice guy."

"You guys are some hella weird pirates." San spoke, laughing a bit too. "I thought we would just– You know, kill people and that stuff. But here we are."

"I mean, we're definitely gonna do it. At least when we know where are we going next." Hongjoong replied.

"Also, we don't usually stay in random pirates camps. Those guys could kill us any moment." Seonghwa added.

"I don't think they will."

Wooyoung’s words managed to silence the rest of the crew. They didn't expect it from the more experimented pirate among them.

"We gave them something really important, we are guests."

"We are pirates, and they are too." San responded. "Pirates have no guests, only enemies and bloodthirst."

"Woah, woah. Hold on church boy." Mingi joined. "Only enemies and bloodthirst? We have a sistem here."

"Yeah, he's right for once. There are rules, a code to follow." Wooyoung crossed his arms, looking at San. "But I guess that's not what they tell you out there."

"Right– The prince still thinks he's our emergency food or something." The captain nodded a bit, then started looking for a place to sleep.

It was a huge tent but there was literally nothing, luckily he had a fluffy coat with him.

"May I ask something?" San almost muttered it in a soft tone. "Why do you call him  _ prince _ ? Everyone has a cool nickname here?"

"Oh." Jongho said without even thinking. "No one told him, right?"

* * *

"Books."

Yeosang was absolutely disappointed.

"You found books."

"At least pretend you're grateful."

Taeyong just guided the prince to another side of the camp, they were now inside a tiny tent with a lot of books and maps, probably their research.

The first thing Yeo thought was that the wooden house was such a better place for books than a tent. Rain could ruin everything.

The second thing that bothered him was the quality of the books. He wasn’t close enough yet but all of them seemed expensive, it would be hard to steal such a big collection.

He finally took one of them in his hands.

"Is this…? Books about magic?"

"Mostly beasts and old tales, but yeah."

"This is rare as hell." He said, opening the one he took. It was a little guide about different magical creatures. "Those are prohibited."

"Yes, and that's why collectionist love them!"

"Rich collectionists. Nobles." Yeosang corrected. "How did you get them?"

"Uh…"

"Prince Yeosang?" Suddenly a third voice appeared. "Is it truly you? Oh my god, you are–"

"A monster with horns?" The prince turned to see the voice's owner, a bit pissed off already.

"No!" The third boy said nervously. "Alive! You are alive!"

Then Yeosang saw him. Peeking between some messy wooden cages was a boy with blonde hair. He seemed younger than Yeosang but was actually taller than him.

But his looks weren’t the important part of the issue.

"Holy fucking shit."

That was everything Yeo managed to say when he saw Chenle in front of him, the son of one of the richest nobles he knew. He didn't really know him, but they met some years ago. Something fast, no chat or bonding time.

He was one of the most respected kids in the nobility, but rumours said he ran away from home long ago.

Taking part of his fortune, of course.

"What–" Then he looked at Taeyong. "How did you–"

"No one told me our guest was a prince!" Chenle kept talking, directing his gaze to Yeosang's claws. "So that's why you missed all the festivities. How cruel."

"Just wait.” Yeosang said without any more explanation, the night was about to fall upon them. “Can I take this one?” He said, showing the guide. “I’ll give it back before we leave, promise.”

The captain directed his gaze to Chenle, the original owner of the books and the only one who didn’t give a shit about them. He wasn’t interested in magic or monsters, he probably had the books on a dusty familiar collection. At least until some random pirates needed them and he just kinda joined the crew.

Yeosang had a lot of questions about it, but he prefered to remain silent.

Taeyong just nodded, making a small gesture with his hands to give his permission to the prince.

“Thank you, I will remember this.”

“Don’t know what for, actually. You left your family too–” Chenle started to say.

“I was fucking kidnapped by those idiots.” Yeo corrected him. “But I didn’t mean it in a fancy way. I have no money, not even a piece of gold.”

“Woaw.” Taeyong laughed a bit at the unnecessary information. “A broken prince.”

“Don’t think I’m a prince anymore, either.”

“You are to me! The Night Prince!” The blonde spoke again.

“Don’t call me that, please.”

Oh. Chenle took a hand up to cover his own mouth, thinking he said something bad. Well, he actually did, ‘the Night Prince’ kinda meant ‘the useless son we can only show when the sun’s hidden’.

But Yeosang decided to say nothing else about it, he was no one to make the richest kid feel bad.

“I… I should go with my crew now. I don’t want them to think you guys killed me, so–”

“Oh, sure!” Taeyong replied. “Don’t forget the rules, ah?”

He said the last part in a joking tone, but it felt pretty intimidating for the prince. Taeyong’s kind words were surely found with decision, Yeosang was no one to defy a pirate captain.

He waved his hand a bit and left the tent with the book on his other hand, ready to spend some time looking for his crew of dumbasses. But he didn’t even get to move.

In front of the wooden little house there was San waiting for him to come out, the church boy was surprised when he noticed the prince in the other place. He went running to him in a cute way, as soon as he was in front of Yeosang he bowed to him.

“Your Highness!”

“What–” Yeo instantly replied.

“What?!” Chenle shouted from the inside of the tent.

They both had a moment of silence, trying to ignore the third one. Then the prince took San by the shoulders and made him stand like a regular and normal person.

“What the fuck are you doing? You don’t have to–”

“I disrespected you! I called you a demon! Please, have mercy!”

“What did those fuckers tell you?”

Then the church boy went silent. Oh.

He came to escort the prince to the pertinent tent and gain his forgiveness. The rest told him the prince was cruel with those who mocked him, San was convinced that Yeosang would cut his tongue for the rough words he pronounced.

So they lied.

San didn’t know what to say, he was extremely ashamed. He turned and started to walk without saying a word, Yeosang just let out a cold laugh and followed him.

It wasn’t too long until they reached the big ass tent and reunited with the others. San went directly to Wooyoung and punched him, then the boatswain’s shrill laughter invaded the whole place. A lot of them enjoyed the church boy’s shame, some just ignored the scene, but it didn’t take long until more and more jokes made the hours go by.

They didn’t come out of the tent except for the prince, who went for a walk while he started to read the weird guide.

It had information about a lot of creatures, Yeo decided to read the whole book instead of focusing on the fairies. Maybe it could be useful.

When he saw the moon above him he took a deep breath, it was time to go back to the tent. He didn’t want to look suspicious.

Yeosang finally entered the tent ready to sleep a bit, trying to avoid any noise that could wake up the crew.

But then he saw something.

A huge ass silhouette was moving there. At first he thought it was Mingi because of the height but then the unknown dude made something.

He had a sword and he was going for one of the pirates.

Uh oh. Yeosang was the only one awake. He had no claws, he didn’t have his sword in hand, but he had to do something.

He took all the courage he had and went for the intruder, ready to pick up a fight.

“Stop right there!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this took me ages,,, Thank you for waiting, new chapter's finally here! Hope you enjoyed!  
> This chapter came out extra angry sksksksk Yeo's point of view is a pretty tired one I guess.
> 
> Hope you're all okay, take care of yourselves and see you next chapter!


	25. Chapter 25

_ Some days ago, Oxpass.  _

The ballroom of the palace was a huge party moment ago, but time passed and the nobles moved to see their dear show on the gallows.

While it happened, numerous soldiers took their place in the room for an emergency meeting, including Yunho and the strangers, now the three of them wearing the black and red uniform jacket.

Joshua and the blonde one seemed pretty relaxed, the other was the last soldier to enter the ballroom. He had his weapon with him, a huge bow that seemed to be of a pretty good quality.

As soon as he closed the door, the weird ass white animal jumped to Joshua’s lap and kinda went to sleep. With its eyes open.

“What the hell just happened?” One of the oldest soldiers said, probably from a high rank.

“Rats are smarter than your soldiers, it seems.” The blonde soldier, Jeonghan, replied with a soft voice.

“You.” The old guy looked at him, outraged by the disrespect from the young man. “Your stupid black uniform doesn’t give you the right to–”

“Yes, yes, I know. It’s not the uniform, It’s your incompetence.”

The guy almost took out his weapon to stab the blonde, but he took a deep breath instead. Jeonghan laughed while his companion took the chance.

“They escaped your shitty prison with ease, just like I did.” Joshua then stood up, the white creepy animal jumped to his shoulders. “But we failed to stop them too, we are part of the disaster.”

“One of them is pretty resistant.” The one with the bow muttered, concerned that his arrows weren’t enough.

“So we used our magnificent brains.” Joshua ignored it and kept speaking. “You know, me and the blondie here are part of the Specialists strategists–”

The blonde waved and smiled as he was mentioned, happy to show his superior condition to the irritating old dudes in white uniform.

“We got a plan.” Still Joshua. “It would be useless to keep following the Aurora like idiots, you guys lost a few times. We need some stealth, some strong and lucky soldier who’s willing to bring his captain to us.”

“And the one they helped to escape too.” Jeonghan added.

“So… Any volunteer?”

Then they both smiled, a fake smile full of poison and malice. Some of the soldiers really believed them, but not Yunho. Yunho felt the white animal’s gaze on him since his owner started to talk.

It was not a plan, it was a threat to him.

He didn’t know much about the Specialists, but some of them really had a name in the Army. Those two were called the devil twins and, oh god, those demons surely had him on the edge of the abyss.

The animal heard him, the animal could repeat everything, the animal could get him killed. His two options were being executed as a traitor or die following some pirates on his own, he had to choose a fast or delayed death.

Yunho raised his hand.

“I’ll do it. I had some luck finding them until now.”

Everyone in the room looked at him, the two specialists (only two since the archer stayed serious) seemed pleased. A lot of soldier’s didn’t see it as a good plan, but since their crewmate trusted the Specialists they did too.

A mistake, actually.

But there was no turning back, he had to do it. Any death the pirates gave him would be better than the devil twins plans for him.

* * *

_ Future Island, present. _

"Stop right there!"

The prince's words managed to scare the soldier. Yunho thought he was alone, after all the trouble he failed on the most basic part of the plan.

Before even turning to the enemy, he took his sword and crossed the chest of the pirate next to him.

Yeosang froze as he saw his crewmate body react, waking up only to fall dead again without a sound. He was terrified, at least until he saw the captain's tiny hand trying to grab the soldier's sword before losing his last breath.

"I told you to stop!"

"Did you really think I would obey?"

Yunho left the sword there, in the captain's chest. He was gonna fight the prince unarmed, Yeosang was the last one he wanted to hurt.

But, oh, he miscalculated.

The soldier was taller and had good training, but he didn't expect the other to directly kick his legs without any doubt.

He thought a prince would be a weakling, but Yeo had some hella strong legs.

"HOLY SHI–" The soldier shouted as he hit the floor.

"How did you get here?! Did you follow us?!"

The prince went to the captain and took his enemy's sword, then pointed at the soldier with said weapon.

"Why would you be so stupid?!"

But the tallest didn’t reply, he got to his feet as soon as he could. He underestimated the prince at first but it wouldn't happen again. He took a fast look around them, making sure the rest of the pirates were still sleeping.

Some moved with their random screams but they didn't wake up.

He didn't get to think twice before the prince was again moving towards him, sword in hand.

Yunho moved skillfully avoiding the attacks, but then he got tired of it.

"I don't have all night."

He said, then managed to grab the prince's arm. 

After some tussle the soldier got his sword back and released the grip, ready to do his job and leave the pirate infested island.

"I don't want to kill you, prince, but you give me no choice."

"Fuck you."

"Wha–" He didn't expect those last words. "Where are your manners?"

"Where are yours?" Yeo kept speaking despite the situation. "You came here following us, disrespecting those guys. What a parasite you are."

"Woah, whoah." Yunho was clearly offended, the prince's words were cold as ice. "Do you really want me to kill you so bad?"

"No, idiot." Then the prince smiled a bit, proud. "I'm distracting you, giant dumbass."

He had no time to react before something fastly moved around him, giving him a strong blow with a gun's butt and making him fall to his knees, taking his hands to the affected parts.

Hongjoong came back to life and hit what was closer to him, being it the soldier's delicate zones.

"Can I have some clothes that aren't all bloody? Should I take yours?" The captain said as he saw the soldier fall, looking then at the prince. "Good job, Yeosang."

"I didn't do much, he chose the worst one to kill." The prince shrugged.

“True.”

Then both looked at the soldier for a moment. The captain soon signaled for the prince to get something to tie him, they wouldn’t let him escape this time. It felt like he wanted to die, why would he do such a stupid move following them? It was too much risk for a situation with no escape.

“Let’s see what we do with you.”

* * *

Yunho didn't know when he fainted, all he knew was that he was awake again. He saw nothing, his eyes were probably covered by some dark and dirty cloth.

But despite seeing nothing, he heard voices. A lot of voices.

"Who…?" He started to mutter.

"Oh, he's awake."

"What should we do?"

"I don't know. Mingi, what do we do with your–"

"Once again, he's not my ex."

"Wait, wasn't he possessed? May the gods protect us."

Yunho didn't expect someone to take off the blindfold, and he didn't expect the light either. Hours passed since he attacked the pirates, the sun was out and he lost a lot of time.

When his eyes finally got used to the sun again there was a great surprise in front of him.

"Am I hallucinating…? What did you do to me?"

For the gods, how many people were there? He got used to the Aurora idiots, but they doubled their numbers. No, much more than that.

At first he tried to count the pirates. They were different guys, he wasn’t seeing doubles.

"So, you're telling me one soldier managed to follow you there. On his own." Yuta said.

"He's a very lucky one." Mingi replied. "At least until now."

"Oh." Yunho knew he was dead since he opened his eyes, but he didn't expect Mingi to imply it.

"Let's get this done. You guys can get back to work." Taeyong ordered, signaling to his crew.

Then he took some steps toward the soldier, completely unarmed.

"Wait, don't–" Mingi spoke again, nervous.

But no one reacted to it. The pirates didn't seem to care and Yunho was focused on his approaching death. At first he thought the other was just trying to intimidate him since he took no weapon, but then he saw Taeyong's eyes turn bright blue.

Oh.

Maybe the devil twins plans were better after all.

"Wait."

Hongjoong said in a solemn tone, something that caught everyone’s attention and made Taeyong's eyes turn dark again.

He stared at Mingi for a moment, then approached the soldier too.

Ironic, Yunho had his two targets in front of him, debating how to kill him.

"He could have some important information about the army. It would be foolish to kill him now."

"If he escapes–" Taeyong took a look around him. "The army will come after us. We lose everything."

"He won't." Hongjoong faced the other, standing right in front of him. "I'll take responsibility, just let us talk to him."

"I think you understand the risk I would expose my crew to."

"I do, and I know I'm asking a lot." Hongjoong paused for a moment, he had to think fast if he wanted to convince the other. "I give you my word, the army won't discover your safe place."

"Your word means nothing. You’re a pirate." San added from behind.

"Which price do you want me to pay? What do you want me to do…?" Then Joong directed his gaze to the soldier. "We have some pending issues with him. My crew wouldn't find peace if you just– You know." 

Then he made a vague gesture, moving his finger in front of his neck.

Taeyong took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes, clearly stressed. Too many things had happened since yesterday, he needed a break.

"Fine." He sounded so tired. "But we will keep an eye on him, even if you're there. We won't risk our home."

Then he signaled to one of the pirates working around them.

"Take him with Donghyuk." He ordered.

The other just nodded and obeyed, Yunho didn't even try to resist when he had to get up and start walking.

The Aurora's crew had questions, though. Who was Donghyuk? Was he another prisoner? They decided to not ask yet, not until everything was a bit more chill for everyone. The most worried one was Mingi, he feared the other prisoner could be a cruel reckless old man who could hurt Yunho.

A soldier in jail was a huge target for every prisoner, even if it was just one dude in a pirate camp.

"I– I should get back to work." Taeyong muttered.

He didn't say anything else before turning around and left Joong's crew alone. There were some seconds of uncomfortable silence until the captain directed his gaze to Mingi.

"Use your time well, I don’t think they'll listen to me like this again."

"I will." He gave himself a moment to think about what happened. He spent a lot of time being annoying to the captain, and he still helped him to– save an enemy? "Thank you, captain." He muttered, it was almost inaudible.

"Ah?"

"I think he said–" Yeosang started to reply.

"THANK YOU." Mingi suddenly shouted, probably a bit ashamed.

The captain didn't expect it, but he couldn’t help but laugh after hearing it. He found it cute, actually. He just did what he thought was right, Mingi deserved at least a small talk with the soldier.

Of course it only made Mingi's face turn bright red, he didn’t expect the other to just laugh at him.

"Okay, let’s see." The captain took a fast look at his crew. Not so long ago they were just three guys following a dream, but it fastly turned into a bigger crew with different goals. "We have to be fast, get your shit together before I get a course."

He paused and took a look at Yeosang, then at San.

"When we leave this place we'll go back to the pirate business, you're better ready by then."

"Yes, captain." The prince instantly replied.

"Uh– Yes! I'll be ready!" San spoke then.

Hongjoong knew well the other wouldn't be ready yet. The prince had some cold blood, but the church boy felt like a squishy pillow surrounded by knives.

He knew how to fight but he lacked something. He needed to get into the pirate spirit, Joong thought.

What about Jongho? The blacksmith seemed pretty comfortable with his new life, no one could guess he was forced to it. He was strong, well mannered and full of talents. The only weird thing was the issue with the mysterious scales, but no one in the crew could judge it.

Then there was Mingi. He was already a pirate, he knew the ways and could defend himself, the bad part was how much he loved to oppose the captain and scream.

Irritating but useful.

Finally Hongjoong directed his gaze to the other two guys, his two dearest companions who were actually mad at him for being an absolute idiot.

Wooyoung kinda relaxed his mood a bit, but both of them would need time for the anger to vanish. He understood, actually, the captain wouldn’t say a word about it.

Oh, what a weird crew he got.

Maybe the red haired was right, they needed a name.

“Okay…” He finally broke the silence, his intern monologue was over. “Move, do what you need and– Uh, I’ll be over there if you need something.”

He pointed to a part of the camp with his hands, something a bit messy since he didn’t really know what to do. He had a lot of options and would need help for sure.

Everyone just nodded and got to work. Some knew well where to go, some of them just followed a crewmate, some just needed a silent place to think about their next steps.

Hongjoong took a look around, looking for a pirate who didn’t seem too busy. He saw one, the guy was just staring while his crewmates worked. The ones working were that big guy, Johnny, and another pirate Joong didn’t recognize.

“Hey, I could use some help.”

“Hah?” He turned around to look at the captain, the boy didn’t expect Joong to ask him for help. “Where can I help you?”

“I need some things from my ship.” Then the captain paused for a moment, the other didn’t actually want to help him and it showed. “I just need a guide through the woods, I won’t make you carry anything.”

He stared at the captain for a moment. Then at his own crewmates. Then at the captain again.

“Fuck it, yeah, let’s go. It will be better than hearing them flirt.”

“Okay, nice. Let’s get some of the sails.”

“Did you– Did you say sails?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am absolutely sleep deprived but it felt good to write again, hope you enjoy the chapter while i get some good sleep–
> 
> I'm slowly getting into the schedule again, hope I can go back to the regular weekly chapters soon! Hope everyone's doing well, see you next chapter!


	26. Chapter 26

Jung Wooyoung.

A strong, talented pirate, master of the whip and throwing knives. His tanned skin was full of scars, but still made an awesome match with the silver hair that made him unmistakable.

The Aurora's boatswain was one of the youngest in the crew, but probably the most experienced pirate among them.

He was born a pirate, during his life Wooyoung saw a lot of islands, kingdoms and traditions. He also made a lot of friends, something strange for a sea rover, but Wooyoung was an incredibly charming one for sure.

And yet, there he was.

He was probably the most calm one with the situation, but being in a pirate camp surrounded by unknown guys wasn't his preferred plan.

Don't get it wrong, Wooyoung loved unknown, strong and attractive guys. But he was bored, and he hated boredom so much he couldn’t even think about the other things.

What could he do? Where were his crewmates? 

The silver haired took a look around him. The captain didn't return from the ship yet, the church boy got tired of just following him and he couldn't see the rest of his companions.

He wasted a lot of time just sitting and watching people work, but it was time for him to do his job.

He got up, stretched a bit and took a deep breath.

"Okay, where's the blondie?"

He asked himself, trying to find the tall, fancy lieutenant. A lot of guys were working around him, so he just approached the closest one.

"Hey, have you seen the fancy guy?"

"Hah?" The other didn’t understand well who the other was looking for. "Chenle? He should be–"

"No, no. Our fancy guy. You know, the one with the cool sword."

"Oh!" Then he nodded, he got it. "I saw him on the forest area, right behind the–"

"JAEMIN! GET BACK TO WORK!" Someone shouted to the boy.

"ONE SECOND, I'M GOING–" He stared at Wooyoung for a second. "Close to the firewood reserves! You'll find him there!"

"Uh." Wooyoung couldn't say much before the boy left. "Okay? THANK YOU." He shouted so the other could hear it.

He waited there for a few seconds, didn't know if the other would randomly shout anything relevant.

When he made sure Jaemin left, the boatswain started to move again. The firewood reserves, he had no idea where to find the firewood reserves.

Man, the camp was huge and those guys were still working on new things, he was curious about how it would look after some more time. 

He started to walk, finding a lot of curious places. What caught his attention the most was a pond, a beautiful pond with clean water and precious fishes in it.

Hongjoong would like it, he thought.

He wanted to touch the water, the animals swimming in elegant circles were calling him, it was hypnotic. He got closer, approached his hand to it and–

"OH."

He shouted when he saw something close to the pond. The damn firewood.

Wooyoung started to run towards it. What was Seonghwa doing there anyways? It was right next to the forest entrance, maybe he was training there.

He looked around him.

How hard could it be to find a tall blonde guy?

The boatswain didn't doubt a second and entered the forest, he knew the lieutenant and his need for space and tranquility, he got easily stressed if he trained around people.

"Hm, where are you–"

He started to mutter, but then he finally saw something.

Between the trees and surrounded only by the sound of the wind, there was someone. Someone. But not Seonghwa.

"Yeosang?"

Wooyoung’s voice got the prince's attention. He was sitting on the floor, reading the book those pirates gave him, enjoying some time on his own.

So his expression couldn't hide the disappointment when the loud boatswain appeared.

He was wearing the oversized black jacket Hongjoong robbed for him, it really looked comfy.

"Do you need something?"

"A fancy guy with a cool sword." Wooyoung sighed, looking at the weapon laying next to the prince, the one Jongho gave him. "My fault, I guess."

"Oh, you wanted to annoy Seonghwa."

The boatswain laughed a bit before letting his body fall, sitting next to Yeo.

"Exactly."

"And now I'll have to deal with it because you don't want to keep looking for him."

"You got it."

"..."

"..."

Yeosang directed his gaze back to the book trying to ignore the boatswain, but he didn't last more than a few seconds.

He wouldn't be able to read with Wooyoung there.

He took a deep breath, thinking about a way to deal with the guy who wanted to sell him as a pet to some weird nobles. It was not like he was holding grudges, but he was indeed holding grudges.

Then he realized he had something to say.

"Oh! I found something about you!"

"What? Isn't it a book about monsters?"

"Yes!" The prince started to search among the pages. "Do you know why they say people with silver hair are kissed by the gods?"

"It's just– You know, something people say. An old thing, never really thought about it."

"Well, I found out. It's because angels have white hair, so you're like– a cheap version of an angel."

"I don't think you can feel how much you offended me."

Yeosang finally found the page he was looking for. Wooyoung expected to see a beautiful man with white wings, but there was a creepy doodle instead. 

It seemed like no one knew well how angels looked like, but they were scary for sure.

"Why the fuck do the gods like this shit."

"Uh, well, they start as humanoids." Then the prince started to read the text next to the messy image. "Angels purify, they absorb the Masked Spirits and turn them into power. The more they eat, the more monstrous they become."

"So they have to choose between humanity or power."

"They usually choose power, I guess." The prince passed the page, showing another creepy as shit illustration. "I hope we never face one."

"Do you think we will find an angel? Pfft–" Wooyoung started to laugh, but then he thought about what happened in the Landfill. Hongjoong told them the story about the crow demons, maybe an angel wasn't such a crazy idea.

New fear unlocked.

"Do you think–" Someone suddenly crossed Wooyoung’s mind. "Do you think this is why San likes me? 'Cause he's a church boy and I have angel hair?"

"Hm…" Yeosang closed his eyes, pretending to think of a proper answer. "I think he came out of the church, saw a boatswain with tight pants and a whip and his mind just– Pop. He's just stupid and gay now."

"Ha, how funny." He liked the idea of being a church's boy awakening, tho. "Maybe I should ask him."

"I bet he'll panic."

"How much do you bet?"

"Uh, I don’t know." The prince picked something random from the floor. "This stick? I have no money, remember? You kidnapped me."

“Right.” He sounded so disappointed for something that was his fault. “How sad, I wanted a rich friend.”

“Don’t you have enough friends?” Yeo raised an eyebrow, Jongho was genuinely scared of the chef and the prince had to hear him scream over it. “Maybe the cultist can give you some money.”

“...” He stayed silent for some seconds, then he let out a fake laugh. “You’re hilarious, prince.”

“Where do you meet a cultist, anyways?”

“I traveled a lot with my mother’s crew, huh. I saw the world while you were locked in your room.”

“Oh.” He hit Wooyoung with the stick then, clearly offended by the last words. “That’s where you get your experience from, your mom.”

“I try to learn from everyone.” The boatswain would usually interrupt the other, he was clearly trying to focus the attention on Wooyoung. But, oh, the silver haired loved talking about himself. “Remember the friends I mentioned? From the chef I learned some cooking, from the soldier I got some fighting–”

“And from the cultist you learned how to sell humans to nobles.”

“Wha– Will you ever forget about that?”

“Well, you should make me forget. Make an effort, cheap angel.”

“Did you forget all your manners these days?”

“You don’t deserve my manners.”

Wooyoung didn’t answer then, he rubbed his eyes with one hand and then sighed. He could easily win Seonghwa in an argument like that one, maybe Hongjoong if he did an effort.

But the prince was dead serious, he would need more than words to convince him.

“What can I do? What the hell do you want me to do? I was just– It was my first idea, prince.”

“Maybe stop calling me prince.” Then Yeosang opened the book again, trying to go back to his lecture.

“What do you want me to call you then, hah?”

* * *

Choi Jongho.

Son of a pirate, abandoned in Black Hallows as a child. He had to find a way to survive, it was hard until the drunk old man from the forge took him as a disciple.

At first it was a good upgrade to his shitty life but the old man soon lost his mind and Jongho took control of the forge, making some extra money by forging weapons for pirates. At leasts for pirates he liked.

But life turned the tables once more and made him go back to the high seas.

He fought some dumb soldiers, escaped from demons, freed a crewmate from jail and got hit in the back multiple times by some fucker with a bow.

“Tell me if it hurts too much.”

Mingi’s voice made him come back to reality, and he was definitely awake when the other touched one of the wounds on his back. He didn’t say anything, tho.

They were in the log cabin where Joong and Yeosang met the other captain, healing each other’s wounds. Mingi was in better condition than the smith since more time passed since he got hurt, but as he treated Jongho’s wounds he saw something weird.

The weird scales appeared in the other’s back and were helping him heal, the tallest was really curious about what the hell the blacksmith was. Definitely not a cursed human, it had to be something worse.

He felt the other’s body tensing when he treated the wounds. He told him to say something if it hurted. He wasn’t saying anything.

“Everything’s fine? Do you want me to stop?”

“Uh, no.” Jongho muttered. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Hearing that Mingi just stuck one of his nails into the closest wound.

“WHAT–” The blacksmith got up and took a few steps away from the other. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

“Oh, did it hurt now?” Mingi let out a sigh and then signaled for the other to sit down again. “Let me finish. And tell me if it hurts. I can actually feel it, you rascal.”

“You’re–” Jongho started to speak, but he just ended obeying the other.

It didn’t take them long to finish treating their wound and get out of the log cabin. There was one of the other pirates on the door, probably making sure they weren’t planning something weird. The guy left as soon as they crossed the door’s curtain.

“They don’t trust us.” Jongho muttered.

“Oh, really?” Mingi looked around them, trying to find something for them to do.

There was no task they could do without risking their health, and to be honest he didn’t want to do any kind of task. He was looking for an easy one ‘cause the blacksmith wanted to help, the tallest wouldn’t let him get hurt for– Who knows? Moving a whole tree or something.

Maybe they should walk until someone needed them. Yeah, it sounded like a plan to him.

Mingi was about to explain his magnificent and productive idea when Jongho grabbed his coat with one hand. The pirate could do nothing but turn around to look at him.

The blacksmith usually seemed thought and fearless, but it was different then. His gaze was fixed on the floor and he looked like– Well, for once he looked like the youngest among them. Cute.

"Mingi." 

"I am Mingi." He replied. Even himself felt how weird the answer was.

"Uh…"

"Are you okay? Do you want me to call–"

"HEY, YOU TWO!"

An unknown voice broke the moment, making both pirates look to the one who spoke. The guy approached them and started to talk again, didn't even bother to know if they wanted to listen.

"Your captain needs some bullshit from the forest and I won’t be the one looking for it."

"What?" Jongho was clearly judging the guy who interrupted him. 

"You heard me." Then he gave them a paper. It was a bit messy, but the list of objects on it was easy to read. "He said 'if you can't find something improvise with anything similar'."

Mingi took the list and started to read it. Most of the things were fruits and rare plants, but there was some weird shit too.

"What the hell is he trying to do?"

"Survive? Those are for your crew. You know, you can't stay here forever."

"Wait, wait. He wants us to survive with fruits?"

"That's your problem, not mine." Then the guy took some steps back, ready to get back to work. "If anyone asks, Doyoung has been working all day."

Both pirates watched the third one go away while trying to process the orders. Fruits and plants. The captain wanted them to look for fruits and plants. Most of them were doodles of the things, not words tho.

"Is Hongjoong a fruit lover or something?" Mingi asked, looking at the list again.

"I don't know." The blacksmith took a look at the paper too. "Some things here ain't even edible. Maybe he wants to poison someone who's giving him trouble."

Someone who was giving the captain some trouble. That could be him, Mingi thought.

But Jongho was thinking about another guy, someone who was in the camp too. The soldier was being a pain in the ass, poisoning him would be easy and they could tell Mingi he died from some random bullshit. It was a good plan.

Oh, right.

"I'll do it. I want to work." Jongho said, taking the paper from Mingi's hands. "You have something else to do."

"What? You're hurt, I won’t let you–"

"If you don’t talk to him now you could lose your last chance."

Then Jongho took a better look at the list while Mingi was speechless next to him. The blacksmith was right, and he wouldn't let the tallest waste the opportunity. They would need more than words to save the soldier, Jongho doubted they had any chance.

"Go ahead. This will be easy for me."

He almost ordered it, the other just nodded. The blacksmith gave Mingi a small pat in the shoulder before starting to walk towards the weird forest that surrounded the camp.

He realized he didn't get to tell Mingi what he wanted to, but he had plenty of time. Maybe another day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Episode 1 is almost finished, oh my god.
> 
> As I always say, take care of yourselves and see you next chapter!


	27. Chapter 27

Kang Yeosang.

The son of Ethia’s royalty, also known as the Night Prince. The origin of the nickname was him leaving the palace only during the night, mostly because of the curse his father got him, which turned him into a monster during the day.

Well, he thought he was a monster, he grew up thinking it. The truth was he wasn’t seen like one by the pirates he met since he left Ethia. Except for the church fucker calling him a demon, everything was fine.

So maybe the ones who saw him as a monster were the ones who pretended to protect him.

The Night Prince was kidnapped by the Aurora crew, but said crew gave him a place in their world. They gave Yeosang what he wasn’t able to find during all his life.

Too many things happened, too many people appeared to attack or help them, everything was too fast for him those days. 

But he finally got some time to think, and the captain's promise that it would stop and they would do more pirate things. God he really wanted to hear the creepy laugh echo from the Aurora.

Until then, he decided to study the weird book those pirates lend him to seek answers. Maybe about himself, maybe about the blacksmith, maybe just new facts that could be useful.

His plans were going well until Wooyoung appeared some hours ago 'cause he was bored.

At first they just tried to talk for a while, but they ended up exploring the woods while discussing everything they could think about. Both of them were amazed about how different their lives were, and yet they ended being part of the same story.

“Not even the palace’s garden?”

“Oh, gods no. There were always people in there.”

“You’re telling me you wasted your whole life alone in your room? What the hell?”

Yeosang gave himself a moment to take his sword and cut some annoying and enormous plants in front of him; he always wanted to do that, all the heroes of his stories did that stupid thing. 

It wasn’t as easy and useful as it seemed, the plants were quite flexible.

“I just slept most of the day and went outside at night.” He said, taking off the plants tangled in the sword. “I’m still getting used to being awake during the day.”

“So that’s why you like to stand guard, hah?” Wooyoung laughed but he was feeling pretty sad. “I guess the Night Prince thing makes sense.”

“It does.”

“It’s a cool nickname tho.”

“It isn’t.”

“I wish people gave me a nickname as cool as Night Prince, but it seems like I only got Cheap Angel.” The boatswain pouted, crossing his arms.

The truth was Wooyoung could perfectly deal with all the plants and bugs crossing their path, but the prince was kinda excited to do it. Yeosang wasn’t the most expressive one of the crew, but you could perfectly see when he liked something.

At first the silver haired saw him as a burden, a deadhead in their ship making their days more difficult, but he wanted to learn. He really wanted to be a pirate, probably moved by their stories and hunger for freedom.

But something lived in Wooyoung’s head. Did he consider the bad side of the coin?

“Hey, Yeosang.”

“Yes, that’s the name I want you to use.”

“Yeosang.” Wooyoung stopped his steps and forced the other to do so. “Are you ready for this?”

“Ah? Are you mocking me?”

“I’m– No, gods. I’m being serious there.”

“Well, I’m not the best fighter but I’m learning. And I used to read a lot of adventure–”

“I’m not talking about that.”

The boatswain approached the prince and took his face between his hands, looking directly at Yeosang’s eyes.

“Are you ready to kill? Are you ready to finish someone’s story?”

It was then when Yeosang’s red eyes opened wide, he knew it wasn’t weird in a pirate’s life but he didn’t really think about doing it himself.

Was he actually ready? Would he have the guts when the moment arrived? Couldn’t he just let the rest do it?

Wooyoung could perfectly notice how the prince was filled with all kinds of thoughts, but it was better to give him a crisis now than doubt in the battlefield and get murdered.

“You don’t need to answer now.”

The silver haired let go of the other’s face and started to walk again, getting the annoying plants out of the way just with his hands and a dagger.

Yeosang would need some time before he was ready for the rudest part of his new life, Wooyoung understood it and would have no problem taking the enemies out for him until then, but he had to face reality.

At some point he would become a killer.

* * *

A drop, a little scarlet tear crossed the boy’s arm as he didn’t move. After it some more, his hand was fastly covered in red and his clothes dirty with blood.

All around him was dark, almost pure darkness, but he felt the other person’s body close and inmovile. Oh, how many times he dreamed about the scene. How many nightmares he had to fuel his revenge.

And he finally did it, but there was one question he forgot to think about.

_ Which would be the price? _

Choi San.

He felt all the sweat around him as soon as he woke up all of sudden. He was at the crew’s tent taking a rest after working during the morning, but he didn’t plan to fall asleep.

And that dream surely gave him a chill through his spine.

The boy with the black and red hair looked around him to make sure he was alone. No one saw him and no one could hear him sleep talk. Everything was okay, the rest was out there being helpful and getting ready to leave.

He got up and took off the shirt he was wearing, it was all sweaty and uncomfortable. Then he realized he wasn’t in the church anymore, he had no clothes to put on while cleaning the ones he was wearing.

He got no money either, how was he supposed to get new things to survive? What did he have left? Only what he was wearing, a small bag he managed to get inside jail and a pendant around his neck and chest.

Oh, the pendant.

It was the symbol of a god, but he didn’t have it ‘cause his creences. It was a gift from an older friend from the church, the one who made him join.

He didn’t know him well and years passed since the last time he saw him, but it had some emotional value for San.

He took a deep breath and once again looked around him, maybe someone from the crew left some clothes he could borrow. San thought a pirate wouldn’t mind about someone using their shirt, he could take it without a problem.

Which crewmate clothes would suit him? 

It was irrelevant since he didn’t know whose bag he was searching into.

Not all of them had things they wanted to keep close, there were only two more bags in the tent. He was searching in the one closest to him, and oh how lucky he was. 

There wasn’t just a shirt, no. Someone carried some emergency clothes and made sure to have more than one clean outfit. It was also the biggest bag in the place, his own felt like a tiny pocket next to it.

He took a shirt that seemed to fit him and put it on, but then he saw something else inside the huge bag.

Was it a book?

There was a voice inside San's head telling him it was a bad idea, but gods he wanted to know. Curiosity killed the fox, he repeated to himself.

He closed the bag and got up. He needed to get to work if he didn't want the pirates to judge him. The church boy took a deep breath and started to go after his shoes, but then he muttered to himself.

"Who would bring a book here? Is it really essential?"

He turned towards the bag to sit next to it again. He  _ needed  _ to know.

He opened the huge bag once more and took some things out so he could reach the book. It felt pretty similar to the religious texts he used to work with, even the calligraphy seemed to fit.

“Ciarmyr? What is Ciarmyr?”

He opened it and started to look at the pages. San was lucky, since he learned to read on the church he was used to the weird and fancy calligraphy. There were people who could barely read and the religious texts made it even harder for them.

But it was weird, he wasn’t familiar with the story of the book.

The church boy didn’t understand why some crewmate would take the old story with him, maybe it had some emotional meaning. At least it was what he thought until he saw the elaborated illustration of the main character.

A guy with black hair and a scar under his eye, surrounded by darkness. It was obvious that the church wanted him to look like a villain, not a hero.

“Why do I feel like I know who he is? I’ve seen him before, uh…”

San gave himself a moment, trying to remember who the guy was. The story didn’t give him a name, not even a nickname. He closed his eyes trying to visualize the old books he worked with, but the only image appearing in his head was the dream he just woke up from.

A chill went through his spine again and he let the book fall to the floor, he could feel his hands starting to tremble. He needed to get those images out of his mind.

“Ugh, relax San.”

He said it to himself before starting to put everything back on the huge bag. He needed to go out, get some fresh air, maybe doing something useful. 

It didn’t take him more than a few minutes to get everything done and get out of the tent. As soon as he was outside he felt something, he felt some cold wind on his chest.

There was a hole in the shirt. Why was there a hole in the shirt? Why didn’t he notice earlier?

It was a small one right in the chest, the mark of a direct stab.

San had a lot of questions, what he didn’t know was that he was wearing the same shirt as Hongjoong when he got killed by the crow demon.

“I could sew this if I had– Well, if I had anything.” He took a fast look at the pirates who were working in the camp. He knew none of them. “Argh, what am I supposed to do?”

San felt like he was in debt with the Aurora crew, he was trying his best to look grateful but he was having a lot of problems accepting his fate. He didn’t know the ways, he didn’t have his belongings, he didn’t even know how to navigate and gods, it was so hard to learn. And, the most important part, his fate was in the hands of the gods he was teached to despise.

Why would anyone pray to a god who hated– Well, the gods. It was stupid, the gods of the sea were just disrespectful sea robbers who gained too much power.

Oh.

Maybe that’s what the church wanted him to think.

Holy shit.

“Is my whole life a lie?” He thought out loud.

“Then you should make a new one. You know like, a true one.” 

San didn’t expect someone to reply, he couldn’t help but look at the one who spoke. It was him, the one who was with him in Oxpass, Mark.

He was casually moving some sacks through the camp and didn’t even stop next to the church boy.

The pirate just said the first thing he thought, but it really hit hard for San. 

He was right.

“A true one.” San repeated the other’s words, then followed him. “How am I supposed to find truth in a life of dishonesty?”

“Woah, mister pretty words.” Mark didn’t bother to look at the other. He was just– Kinda trying to work. “Maybe this is what you need dude, an absolute change.”

And as the pirate kept moving San freezed. He remained in the same place for a few seconds, even the other finished his task and went looking for the next sack.

“An absolute change? I didn’t want a change! I didn’t choose to be sent to jail!” He complained with a pouty voice. “Why would I want to become a stinky criminal?!”

And then he really felt like someone was listening to him. Every guy in the surroundings stared at the church boy for a moment, they were ignoring him until they got called stinky criminals.

“Uh. Sorry? I wasn’t talking about you guys. You smell nice! You’re nice criminals, definitely not stinky!” He tried to fix it. “The coolest pirates I ever met!”

“You should stop before you go to jail again.” Mark was back with another sack. “We have a very stinky prison where the idiots go.”

And then he laughed. How did he dare to laugh? San was incredibly offended but also afraid of the stinky jail, so he decided to shut the fuck up and just nod.

Maybe he should find his crew.

He didn't fully trust them, but anything would be better than all those guys threatening him with the stinky prison.

But, oh, where could they be?

He looked around him trying to find any of his new companions, but there was no luck. He didn't know enough about them yet, shit.

"Where could they be…?"

He muttered after starting to walk.

Maybe he didn't need to find them, perhaps he could hide inside the Aurora until it was time to leave.

But it could make the captain think he was trying to steal from them, so he fastly went back to his first idea.

"There can't be a lot of silver haired dudes here."

He said, looking for the boatswain.

Something about Wooyoung caught San's attention from the start, he didn’t know well what it was.

Maybe they met before, maybe he just reminded him of someone, maybe it was something else.

San grew reading stories about the warriors kissed by the gods, heroes with silver or white hair who spoke in the name of the deities. 

He found comfort in the old stories, it was the only thing of his life that didn't suddenly change.

"He's definitely not here."

He said after walking around the camp for a while. The church boy directed his gaze to the forest then, to the dense maze of trees where a lot of creatures and plants lived.

In other words, food.

His crewmates were probably gathering food for the journey, he thought. They didn't just disappear or leave. They didn't–

Oh gods.

What if they left him behind?

He was a useless religious dude they found in jail after all, they didn’t need him. That was bad, so fucking bad San didn’t think twice before starting to run.

He went through the path in the woods, he needed to find someone.

San didn’t want to be abandoned by the guys who just accepted him.

"Please, don't–"

His words were silenced when something caught his feet, some of those terrible and flexible plants made him fall to the floor with a shrill screech.

Once he was down there he took a moment to think, to breathe. Maybe he was being a bit impulsive.

San didn’t bother to get up, he just turned to look up instead of having his face against the floor.

Oh, what a huge surprise he got when there was someone staring at him.

"OH HOLY FUCKING SHIT–" He shouted without even thinking.

"Those are serious words for a church boy."

The other boy was carrying a small sack with him, and he looked like–

Wait a second. He knew him.

"Jongho?"

"Yes?" The blacksmith replied, offering his hand for San to take. "Get up, you'll end up all dirty."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the new chapter and San's existential crisis lmao.
> 
> As I always say, take care of yourselves and see you next chapter.


	28. Chapter 28

Park Seonghwa.

The lieutenant of the Aurora wasn’t born a pirate like his silver haired crewmate, but he adapted to it pretty fast. No one knew well what happened in his mind, no one knew well what made his sense of justice collapse, but it was pretty useful for everyone in the crew. He was probably the one with more blood in his hands and the one who cared less about it.

It kinda worried his crewmates sometime.

The truth was he didn’t get so much time to think before he had to kill for the first time, he had no choice. Maybe it was the shock what turned him that way.

But besides being the feared lieutenant, Seonghwa was someone caring and worried about his crewmates. All the new guys were a chaos, yeah, but he assumed they just needed time. Time to get used to the sea, the lack of commodities and– well, money. 

It was really bothering him, they were out of gold and had no destination planned. They spent all they gained from Yeosang’s home in the Landfill and their provisions were going empty faster than planned.

The lieutenant would usually use his free time to practice on his own, maybe look for a relaxing place to clear his thoughts, but he was too busy looking for a way to maintain six dumbasses and himself.

“I don’t even know if there’s any port close to where we–”

He started to mutter to himself, but then someone got his attention. The captain was sitting on a log, somewhat far from the camp and some meters away from the lieutenant.

“Is that our…?”

The blonde said when he could process what the shorty was doing. He had one of the black sails from the Aurora with him, not the most useful one but big enough to make a good flag. He was… painting it? Sewing? He had a lot of materials around him.

Seonghwa knew well all the stuff Hongjoong was using, he got it from some unlucky and wealthy artist some time ago.

The flag was no longer plain black, the other added some orange stripes to it and seemed to be thinking about what else to add.

Seonghwa thought about ignoring it and just keep moving, but he  _ wanted  _ to go talk to him.

Things were tense between them and, even if his pride wouldn't let him just forget about the matter, the lieutenant wouldn't lose his dearest friend for a stupid tantrum and mixed emotions.

Hongjoong made a mistake, a huge mistake that almost killed Seonghwa and sended him to jail, but it wasn't on purpose. He was sure Joong didn’t leave him alone on the stupid monster plagued island 'cause he wanted to.

Also, besides everything that happened, he wanted to know what the hell was he doing with the flag.

The blonde took a deep breath and approached him, fueled by pure curiosity.

“I see you’re busy, captain.”

Hongjoong wasn’t expecting someone to speak to him, he was too focused and didn’t notice the blonde approaching. So, of course, it scared him.

He didn’t scream on the act, he just jumped a bit and then stared at the lieutenant.

“Why do you have to scare me like this?” He pouted like it wasn’t his fault for not paying attention. “I’m– Well, not at all. I just don’t know how to keep going.”

Then Joong directed his gaze to the flag again. He had the most outstanding and resistant paint with him, but it meant he had to be careful with his next steps. A black and orange flag wasn’t enough, no.

Seonghwa took a look at the flag too before sitting next to the captain. He gave himself a moment to find a comfortable spot in the log since he had no fluffy coat to accommodate his ass.

He ended up pulling a bit of the other’s coat, trying to use it as a cushion too.

The captain noticed and stood up, taking the coat off to put it over the dirty log. Some dust wouldn’t hurt after all the blood he cleaned from it.

“... Thank you.”

The blonde muttered before sitting on the soft and comfortable fabric.

The captain just nodded and directed his gaze to the flag again. Something was missing on it, a name.

The crew grew and became the home of some particular guys, all of them different to each other. None had the same origin or habits, it would be hard to make them work together.

But it was even harder to give the crew a name that included all of them.

It could sound stupid, but Hongjoong really wanted everyone on the crew to find themselves in their flag. It was– How to say it? He wanted to make them feel welcome, the captain wanted them to feel like one big team, not just a lot of random guys who had to use the same ship to survive.

"Some help would be nice, could you?" He said in a soft tone, he really needed an external opinion. "Please."

The worst thing about art was that one somehow becomes stupid after spending too much time on the same thing, sometimes you need an external person to notice the most obvious mistakes or options.

And he sure wasted too much time thinking about it.

"Hm?" Seonghwa crossed his legs and took a better look at the flag. "Orange is cool, good choice."

"No– I know the colors are good, I don’t need help with that." Hongjoong shaked his head. "What name should we use?"

"Woah." The blonde let out a soft gasp.

A name for the crew, he didn’t know what could fit all of them. Maybe they should focus on their captain, he thought, the one who would have to lead them.

What side of Hongjoong could give them a name? Did he have anything that could represent the crew well?

The mullet pirates didn't sound any menacing, to be honest. 

Seonghwa looked at the guy by his side. Joong was focused on the flag, he seemed so immersed in his job. He had that cute expression he made when he was painting, joy and impatience mixed with some frustration.

He loved to see it.

"It's difficult, right? I had some terrible ideas like Aurora Fellaz but–"

Joong's words turned into absolute silence when he turned to look at his partner and he was looking back at him. The captain opened his mouth like he wanted to ask something, but Seonghwa didn't move.

The blonde was fully focused on Hongjoong, on every trait of his face of personality.

Wooyoung would describe him as an irritating and competitive shorty, but that wouldn't work for an intimidating pirate crew name.

But Hongjoong didn’t know what the other was doing, all he knew was that Seonghwa kept looking at him and he was starting to feel pretty nervous. 

For some reason he couldn't look away, he felt trapped inside the lieutenant’s eyes. Oh, those beautiful eyes.

_ What the hell is he thinking about?  _ Hongjoong's mind was filled with questions and nervousness. For every second he kept looking at the blonde his heartbeat felt faster and faster.

At some point he started to move without even noticing, unconsciously looking for the other’s lips.

But all he found was Seonghwa’s hand on his face when he was dangerously close to him.

"Not now, captain."

_ Captain _ .

"I– I'm sorry." Hongjoong went back to his initial pose, clearly ashamed. "I thought we were having a moment, you know."

Oh boy, he wanted to disappear, he wanted his body to be absorbed by the ground and never be found again.

"We had a pretty good moment a while ago, but you decided your tantrum was more important."

Seonghwa’s voice was chill and monotone, he didn’t say it with actual malice. It was just a reminder.

But the other felt hurt, obviously. He was hurt and even more ashamed than moments before. 

Oh how he wished to go back in time and fix his mistake, but one thing he learned from fantasy novels was that time travelling was a bad thing.

"Not the worst thing you did to me, though." Seonghwa added as soon as he saw the other overthinking.

Not the best choice he made, but the lieutenant wouldn't let the chance go by. He  _ had  _ to talk to him, and a moment alone in the woods without the crew around looked like the best opportunity.

"Oh, wha– What?" Joong was about to panic. "What else did i do? God how much did I fuck up–"

"You died right in front of me."

Those words managed to stop Hongjoong's nervousness. In fact, everything stopped. The captain felt like even the time froze, it was only them and the eternal moment of pain and memories.

How should he react? Why was the blondie telling him? Did he just wanna make him beg to his knees and apologize?

No.

Seonghwa seemed ready to keep talking, he was waiting for Hongjoong to process it before adding anything else.

He was calm, serious, the look on the lieutenant’s eyes was somewhat comforting.

At least until his eyes suddenly opened wide and he put one hand in the captain's shoulder.

"Oh! I got it!" He sounded like a kid who had his best idea ever. "I have a name for us!"

* * *

Kim Hongjoong.

The captain of the Aurora was having some trouble with his emotions since the Night Prince joined the crew, he didn’t even know why.

But besides that and all the trouble crossing his path he was the guy who led the Aurora for some years, the ship he built.

The ship he drowned with not so long ago.

Years ago they were just two guys who left their home, two friends with a dream of freedom. Hongjoong and Seonghwa just started their journey when they met the White Army for the first time.

Oh how destiny hated them.

The sound of the cannons destroying the Aurora made Hongjoong's heart shatter in pieces while a rough and huge soldier holded him, making him watch every part of it.

"Stop it!" He shouted with the energy he had left, his voice cracking and his throat hurting. "Stop it you fucking pieces of shit!"

Seonghwa wasn’t even trying to get rid of the soldier's grip, it was destroying him to see Joong like that.

How did they manage to be so unlucky? How did they get caught by a huge army ship as soon as they started their journey?

How did they face their death so soon?

The soldiers laughed as the captain tried to move.

"Do you really want me to let you go?" The soldier holding Joong mocked him, releasing the grip then.

Seonghwa’s blood was boiling, he was sick of those bastards finding joy in a young guy's suffering. 

What was he supposed to do? Was there a way to win? Just two boys against a whole White Army ship, it didn't sound like a victory to him.

Hongjoong felt how the grip disappeared but his body didn’t know how to react. Should he try to take down one of those guys? Take someone to hell with him? Should he just watch how the ship he built was turned into useless pieces of wood?

The captain didn't have time to think, not even a minute passed since the damn soldier who just let him go took his weapon and shot him. Just one bullet, that was everything it took to shatter every hope and thought in Hongjoong’s mind. He didn’t get to show a reaction before his body fell, he wouldn’t even know what killed him.

And they laughed.

They laughed while Seonghwa saw Hongjoong's body hit the wooden floor of the ship. He felt how the stupid soldier holding him pushed him, making the blonde fall to the floor too.

He was speechless, horrorized and angry. Oh, he was so fucking pissed off, it felt like the sadness and fear were being blocked by pure rage. It would be a problem when the anger disappeared and he had to face his emotions, but would that moment even arrive? Would he live to feel it?

Gods how he wanted every man around him to suffer the worst of all deaths.

Seonghwa was about to make a very stupid and wrong move, but the idea changed when he saw those uniformed dogs throw his friend's body to the sea.

As soon as his body was able to react, he got up and went after it and jumped into the water.

What did he plan to do?

Die next to him? Maybe.

He wouldn't turn back.

Seonghwa swam down and down until he reached Hongjoong's body.

He held his only friend until everything turned black.

* * *

"Ateez?"

Seonghwa nodded, the nam e sounded even better when the captain said it.

“You know, from the A to the Z and everyone between them.”

Hongjoong couldn’t hold back a smile when he understood the origin of the idea, the inspiration coming from their home.

It was indeed a perfect name for them.

“All kinds of people.” He laughed a bit. “It sounds good, I like it.”

“Right? They would also love it.” The blonde said.

Hongjoong’s smile just grew bigger. Seonghwa was talking about some friends from their home, the island they lived in before becoming pirates. They teached them how to fight, how to survive.

Good friends they hadn't seen since they left the island for the first time.

“Ateez then.”

Hongjoong stood up to reach for the diverse paint around him, taking the most bright color to write it on the flag. Black, orange and green. Those were no regular colors for a pirate flag, but they didn’t want to seem regular.

“Let’s make sure they can hear the name from home.” He said while writing it. “Let’s make everyone talk about Ateez.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God this chapter took ages to post, sorry for that. When work finally let me finish to write it, it didn't let my beta readers correct it. I hope to get the nexts one sooner, even if the schedule is still on hold.
> 
> But besides all of that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! There's just one more until the first episode ends, then the real deal will start ;)
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boi that's the last chapter for this part. Hope you enjoy!

Song Mingi.

Tall, handsome, strong… The pirate was a lot of things, and unlucky was part of the list. He was aware of it, a lot of people saw him as a stupid and clumsy disaster, ever since he started his journey as a pirate. Always being chased, always having to find a way out from every island he found.

Even other pirates avoided him, why would they want such a mess in their crew? Why would they want to be close to someone who seemed to attract the White Army?

Oh, he almost started to believe those words, he almost let his bad luck forge his identity but something new happened.

He happened.

Kim Hongjoong took him in his crew, helped him when he was hurt and trapped. Did he see through his bad luck, did he see something special in Song Mingi?

Perhaps the real Mingi?

He felt good, he felt validated and appreciated, but there was something wrong. He didn't tell him, he didn’t explain why he was known as such a clumsy pirate. He didn’t say anything about the guy that somehow found him every time.

His dear friend from the White Army.

Perhaps this was his chance to fix it. He had an opportunity to talk to him like he never had before, for once Mingi wasn’t the one trapped and surrounded by enemies.

Oh, Yunho might be so scared.

Mingi didn’t know well what would happen to the soldier once he talked to him, he didn’t know what those pirates would do to keep their secrets. He couldn’t judge them, they were doing what was best for the crew and shouldn’t have mercy for just one soldier.

The matter was, Yunho wasn’t just one soldier for Mingi.

The pirate was following the instructions he got to find the island’s prison, it was somehow apart from the camp. It made sense, no one wants a jailed enemy right next to their bed. The path was guiding him into what looked like a stone forest, it somehow seemed to be the original environment of the island. Perhaps the forest surrounding the camp was only a tiny weird part of it.

Anyways.

He started to move between pillars of stone and bushes until he saw what he was looking for.

A huge door covered the entrance to a cave, probably not a natural one. The door was also made of stone, how was he supposed to open it? How did any of those guys open the damn giant rock thing?

The more he discovered about the island, the more questions he had.

Those weird pirates altered the island somehow, honest work and effort wasn’t enough to build a place like the one Mingi had in front of him. He heard about the captain’s curse, but did it give him enough power to create such a big thing? What kind of stupid monster would curse a pirate and turn him into– Well, the same guy but with weird magic.

Huh. What if it was a curse? Did it affect him? Those guys were friendly, Taeyong didn’t look like a bad guy.

Mingi really hoped he wasn’t a bad guy, gods.

“Focus, Mingi.” He spoke to himself and started to approach the door in front of him

Maybe he was just imagining it and it was a totally useful wooden door, not an inamovible mass of pure rock he would have to cross. He carefully put his hand in the door, the touch was– Yes, stone. Pure stone.

He tried to push with one hand, trying to find a weak spot, perhaps some kind of mechanism that would open the gates for him. There had to be one, right?

“Think for a moment. Use your incredible brain.” He tried to motivate himself. “You escaped from a thousand prisons, you can solve this.”

Mingi took a few steps back so he could see the stone door well. There were no visible patterns or sketchy holes, just– Stone. Plain, pure, stone. The same could be said about the walls around it, he saw no mechanism, not even a clue.

Maybe he had to say something? As a kid he heard stories of magical doors that opened when some words were pronounced. Was there a password of some kind?

"Uh… Open!"

He shouted and waited. Nothing happened.

"Of course that's not it, too simple." He rubbed his eyes with one hand, what could it be? "Oh, for the greatness of– Our incredible captain, uh… What was his name?"

Once again, silence. He stared at the door like he was expecting it to give him an answer. But nothing happened.

"Fuck this shit."

That was everything he said before approaching the door again, this time trying to push it with his whole body. Mingi was using all the strength he had but it felt like he was the only one moving.

His face was red, his whole body was tense, he was really wasting some valuable time trying to move the damn wall of stone.

After some time it seemed to move, but the feeling of victory didn’t last much for Mingi.

"What are you doing?" A voice sounded behind him.

He couldn't answer before the door suddenly opened, making his body fall to the floor. In a normal state he wouldn't mind it, but every little stone felt like a dagger. He was hurt and wasted all his energy.

Mingi gave himself a moment to regain some strength, but then a hand approached him. The other guy wanted to help him and he wouldn't say no.

He took the hand and got to his feet, not without some soft growls of pain.

"Uh. Thank you?" He muttered.

"I asked you something, didn’t I?"

Oh, right. Mingi finally felt like a functional human being again, he could finally see well the guy who just helped him.

He didn’t look too strong, he definitely didn’t open the door by himself. He was also carrying something with him; a rough porcelain mug, not too fancy but also something rare to see. There was a strange beberaje on it, something dark brown and clearly warm.

The guy was staring at Mingi, still waiting for an answer. He was pretty, though.

"I was– Your captain said, uh–" Mingi took a deep breath, he had to focus. "I came to talk to the prisoner."

"Oh."

The stranger blinked a few times like he wanted to make sure Mingi was real, then started to laugh. It was a soft laugh, he didn’t want to hurt poor Mingi's feelings.

"You tried to– Oh my god." He let out a last laugh, then sighed. "You can’t move this door, it opens for us!"

"How–"

"Isn't it obvious?"

At first he thought 'no, how the fuck it is obvious?'

But the island was full of questionable stuff, probably modified with pure, wild magic. Everything about it made Mingi incredibly uncomfortable, he felt like they would have no way out if they made a mistake.

Finally, he just nodded.

"You must be Mingi," the other finally spoke again. "the tall one. I remember you."

"You're right." He said, taking another look at the door after it. He didn't know how the pirates did it, but the island seemed to obey them. "And who do I have the honor to meet?"

"You don’t need pretty words now." The other laughed, then crossed the door to enter the weird prison. "You can call me Ten!" He shouted, expecting the other to follow him.

But Mingi didn't move yet. 

"Ten? What kind of name is Ten?" Then realized and went running to the other, starting to walk by his side. "Did you have nine siblings and some lazy parents?"

"It's just a nickname. Don’t think a lot about it." He didn’t seem annoyed by the questions, rather the opposite. Mingi’s curiosity lacked any kind of malice. “Some of us don’t use our real names with strangers. We left all kinds of past behind.”

“So I could recognize you if I knew your name. Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Maybe.” Ten joked before stopping his steps in front of another door, a common iron door this time. “We’re here.”

"Thanks gods, a door I can actually open." 

Mingi joked and then approached his hand to the door, but a heavy feeling stopped him from actually opening it. 

_ He  _ was at the other side.

Mingi took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

He didn’t know what to say or do, but it was his only chance. Should he convince Yunho to leave the army? Try to rescue him and run from more than twenty armed dudes?

He discarded the last option when the huge door of stone closed behind them, running away wasn’t an option.

The calming down idea wasn’t going as planned, his hands started to tremble.

What if he fucked up and the other died right after he left?

What if he couldn't do anything about it?

"Hey,"

Ten's voice managed to gain Mingi's attention, getting him out of his crisis.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh–" 

Mingi was about to lie, but he rubbed his eyes a bit and sat on the floor instead.

"You know, we used to be friends."

* * *

Jeong Yunho.

A young soldier from the White Army who managed to get pretty popular among his superiors, all due to his incredible luck and his skill, but oh how fast he lost his privilege.

All it took was one of those specialists to discover he was helping some pirates.

He felt trapped and accepted the practically-a-suicide mission, fearing they would expose him to the army.

After hours in the stupid pirate jail, Yunho was convinced he should have just accepted the punishment for betrayal to the White Army and the law. It would have been better than his current situation.

Was it being between bars what made him think so? Hell no.

First a scary as shit captain with magic, then the other guy who was in jail with him. 

There he was, sitting right in front of him, staring right into his eyes.

"Can't you let me sleep for a while before I die?" The soldier said in a tired tone, pouting.

"Oh you wish, soldier." The other guy said, holding Yunho's face with his hands. "We don't have a member of the White Army here everyday."

"Yeah well, I don’t know shit about anything that ain't– You know, patrols and punching pirates in the face."

"Maybe you should punch him." A third voice joked, it was the one at the other side of the bars, the guy guarding them.

"Shut up Johnny, I'm trying to get some info–"

"Why are you here anyways?" Yunho said, trying t o avoid the questions about his job. "Aren't you one of them?"

"I'm here to make you talk."

"You're here 'cause you gave Mark to them, idiot." Johnny thought. Aloud. Almost shouting.

"But the soldier doesn’t need to know it!"

Like he reached the limit of his patience, the guy let go of Yunho's face and stood up to approach his crewmate. He held the iron bars of the jail while trying to talk with him without Yunho hearing.

A failure since Johnny wasn’t close enough to him.

"Hey, I'm trying to do some helpful stuff."

"The guy's a low rank soldier, Donghyuk, just let him relax before the captain takes care of him."

"Sshh! Don't tell him who I am!"

"He's going to die!" Johnny finally approached his crewmate but he didn't lower his voice. "Just– You know! Let him be!"

"Wait, wait–" Yunho stood up too, making the one between him and Johnny feel incredibly small. "He threw the guy to the army. He's fine. I helped to get him out. I'll die."

Both pirates looked at each other, clearly confused. 

"We're on the same boat! Those fuckers threw  _ me _ here 'cause I helped some filthy pirates!"

"Stop lying, dude, it won't save your neck."

"I'm not–"

Yunho was about to argue but he noticed in time. Losing his patience wouldn't help, he took a deep breath and made some gestures with his hands like he was meditating.

There was no way he could convince those pirates he helped their mate escape, but it was his only chance to get out alive.

He didn’t want to help  _ him  _ but he did, he deserved some mercy. Right?

"Can you bring him–"

"JEONG YUNHO." A voice interrupted him, Mingi’s voice. The guy suddenly opened the iron door and made the soldier's heart skip a heartbeat. "WE NEED TO TALK."

"What the hell is he doing here?"

Johnny was about to kick him out, but then he saw the one going with Mingi. It didn’t take more than some gestures before he took a fast look at Yunho and nodded, walking towards the door.

"I'll give you two some time." He said, then stared at his jailed crewmate. "You better let them talk."

The guy just sighed, then went to one corner of the jail and sat there, arms crossed.

The soldier had so many questions about the scene he made, but he already knew the other would come to see him. He sat on the floor too, right in front of the iron bars.

"Did you cut your hair, princess?" Yunho laughed softly, much more relaxed than moments before.

He kinda felt safe if Mingi was there, even if his fate was the same.

"Yeah, well, it would be pretty ridiculous to come here with a wig."

The pirate joined his friend and sat down, but he was far from calm. He was on his fucking nerves and didn’t know how to stop it.

"It looked good on you."

"I know."

"Just– Get to the point you two!" The third guy shouted.

"HEY–" 

Mingi w as about to shout to him but he was distracted by Yunho's laugh. Oh how he missed it.

"He's right." The soldier said. "We don't have much time, so–"

"Join us."

"What?"

"What?!" The other pirate was confused as well.

"Just– Leave the White Army and come with us." 

Mingi was dead serious, staring into the soldier's eyes. Yunho already told him no multiple times, but maybe he felt safer in the Aurora. He needed a crew to cover him from the army when he left.

The pirate was waiting for an answer but the other just stared back at him, confused, focused on Mingi's eyes like he was hypnotized.

Yunho needed a moment to shake his head and get rid of the weird sensation.

"Are you out of your mind?" The soldier finally muttered. 

As soon as he looked back to the pirate he felt his heart shatter.

Mingi was looking at him with those sad puppy eyes he made when he was– You know, those moments where he wanted to cry but he didn't, Mingi wasn’t someone who cried easily.

"Come on, I–" Yunho's voice turned incredibly soft then, trying to comfort the other. "I would have to leave this place first. And then, uh– Get accepted by the guys who probably want me dead."

"But–"

"And even if I managed to join you, the White Army would say you kidnapped a soldier or something." He frowned a bit, frustrated. "A good excuse to go after you. Again."

He knew well the Aurora was starting to be irritating for the army, they would prefer to eliminate them before they became more powerful.

Yunho was about to say more of his inner thoughts out loud, but then he realized Mingi was silent and no longer pouting.

He was thinking about something.

"Mingi?" He said, trying to get the pirate's attention. "Hello? Princess?"

"I want you to answer sincerely."

Mingi's sudden seriousness managed to make Yunho more nervous, the other only talked like that when it was about really important stuff.

"Do you want to leave the army and join us?" Then he frowned. "Or do you prefer to die and be loyal to them?"

The soldier found himself breathless for a moment. Those were serious words to ask a soldier.

"I…" He tousled his own hair a bit. "I would like to be with you."

"He's dodging the question!" Donghyuk shouted from his corner.

"Hey! I don't want the army to kill me, but becoming a pirate is something serious!" He shouted back. "But I can do it! I ain't dodging shit!"

Like he heard the magical words he was waiting for, Mingi stood up without saying anything. It confused both prisoners leaving them speechless, the pirate just went to the door, opened it and left. 

Out of the room the other two pirates were just chatting and waiting, they were also surprised when the other left so soon.

“I’ll accompany him to the door.” Ten muttered to the other, joining Mingi.

He didn’t explain anything, he just kept walking forward with a serious expression on his face. 

“Are you okay? How did it go?”

“I heard all I need to know.”

“Hah?”

What was wrong with him? 

What was on Mingi’s mind? No one would know until he reached the camp and spoke his mind. He just kept walking forward as the stone door opened and it didn’t take long until he left the place behind and was alone again, crossing the same path he walked through not even an hour ago.

Step after step, he fastly reached the camp where the rest of the pirates were.

Mingi took a look around him and found what he was looking for; Hongjoong and Seonghwa were having a little talk with the other captain and some more guys he didn’t know. He didn’t doubt a second and joined.

“Lieutenant Seonghwa,”

“Oh no, he’s being formal.” Hongjoong muttered, actually scared.

“Are you a man who keeps his word?”

Silence. Absolute silence invaded the place after Mingi’s question, everyone directed his gaze to Seonghwa. The blonde was clearly confused and mildly uncomfortable, he needed a moment and a gulp before even talking.

“I am. I don’t know what this is about but–”

“Oxpass.” Mingi interrupted, starting to walk around like he was giving some kind of speech. “Back in Oxpass you said I could get whoever I wanted on the ship if I got you out of jail.”

Then everyone understood.

“I was talking about–” The lieutenant looked around, expecting some help from the rest of the pirates there. “It wasn’t a permanent offer. I just wanted to–”

No, it wouldn’t work. He knew as soon as he stared into Mingi’s eyes, the younger was full of determination and probably ready to argue for a long time. Seonghwa took a deep breath and directed his gaze to the only one who could save the situation.

“Captain,” He said. “What do you think?”

“I think we’ll have to ask another favor to our hosts.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "/Mingi voice/ Yunho join my emo band."  
> -Cryptid Reader.
> 
> I feel kinda weird with the first part of SBSS finished,,, but now's when the real deal starts! I hope you enjoyed this first part of the story and look forward to the next one!
> 
> I don't wanna leave a huge ass text here, but thank you all for reading this and all your kind comments! I hope more and more people can enjoy this story with time. I'll start posting the next part as soon as life lets me, see you then!!


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